375]

you look at me for with your wicked eyes? you' walking before her door. She was dressed so as are always finding me out. Mrs. Sander looked to conceal her pregnancy. She had a long very much distressed; she gave us a saline cloak, and a very great muff. She had just redraught each. This was the first time I had any turned from Greenwich Church. She looked suspicion of her being with child. The Princess very ill, and I thought must be very near her never said who was the father. When she first time.About a week or nine or ten days after told me she was with child, I rather suspected this, I received a note from the Princess, to desire that I would not come to Montague House, for that Sir S. Smith was the father, but only because the Princess was very partial to him. I never they were apprehensive that the children she knew he was with her alone. We had constant in- bad taken had had the measles in their clothes, tercourse with the Princess from the time when I and that she was afraid my child might take it. was at Montague-house till the end of October. When the Princess came to see me during my After she had first communicated to me that lying-in, she told me that, when she should be she was with child, she frequently spoke upon brought to bed, she wished I would not come to the subject. She was bled twice during the her for some time, for she might be confusAbout the end of Decemtime. She recommended me to be bled too, and ed in seeing me. said, it would make you have a better time. ber I went to Gloucestershire, and stayed there Mr. Edmeades bled her; she said, one of the days about a month. When I returned, which was in that Mr. Edmeades bled her, that she had a vio- January, I went to Montague House, and was lent heat in her blood, and that Mr. Edmeades let in. The Princess was packing up something should bleed her. I told the Princess that I was in a black box. Upon the sofa a child was lying, The very anxious how she would manage to be covered over with a piece of red cloth. brought to bed, without its being known: that Princess got up, and took me by the hand. She I hoped she had a safe person.-She said, yes: then led me to the sofa, and said, there is the she should have a person from abroad; that she child, I had him only two days after I saw you. had a great horror of having any man about her The words were, either I had him, or I was upon such an occasion-she said, I am confident brought to bed: the words were such as clearly in my own plans, and I wish you would not speak imported that it was her own child. She said to me on that subject again. She said, I shall she got very well through it; she shewed me a mark on the child's hand, it is a pink mark. tell every thing to Sander. I think this was on the day on which she told me of what had hap- The Princess said, she has a mark like your a little girl. I saw the child afterwards, frequently pened at Lady Willoughby's.-Sander was very good woman, and might be trusted, and with the Princess quite till Christmas, 1803, that she must be with her at the labour; that when I left Blackheath. I saw the mark upon she would send Miss Gouch to Brunswick, and the child's hand, and I am sure it was the same Miss Milfield was too young to be trusted, and child, I never saw any other child there. The must be sent out of the way. I was brought to Princess Charlotte used to see the child and bed on the 23d July, 1802. The Princess in- play with him. The child used to call the Princess of Wales "Mamma." I saw the child looksisted on being present. I determined that she should not, but I meant to avoid it without ing at the window of the Princess's house about offending her. On the day on which I was a month ago, before the Princess went into Debrought to bed, she came to my house and in- vonshire, and I am sure that it was the same sisted on coming in. Dr. Mackie, who attended child. Not long after I had first seen the child, me, locked the door, and said she should not the Princess said, that she had the child at first come in, but there was another door on the oppo- to sleep with her for a few nights; but it made site side of the room, which was not locked, her nervous, and now they had got a regular and she came in at that door, and was present nurse for her. She said, We gave it a little during the time of the labour, and took the milk at first, but it was too much for me, and child as soon as it was born, and said she was now we breed it by hand, and it does very well. very glad she had seen the whole of it. The I can swear positively that the child I saw at the Princess's pregnancy appeared to me to be very window is the same child as the Princess told me visible. She wore a cushion behind, and made she had two days after she parted with me. Miss Saunder make one for me. During my The child was called William. I never heard When the child lying-in the Princess came one day with Mrs. that it had any other name. Fitzgerald. She sent Mrs. F. away, and took a was in long clothes, we breakfasted one day chair, and sat by my bedside. She said, you with the Princess, and she said to Sir John will hear of my taking children iu baskets, but Douglas, This is the Deptford boy. Independyou won't take any notice of it. I shall have ently of the Princess's confessions to me, I can them brought by a poor woman in a basket. I swear that she was pregnant in 1802. In Octoshall do it as a cover to have my own brought to ber, 1804, when we returned from Devonshire, me in that way; or, that is the way in which II left my card at Montague House, and on 'the must have my own brought when I have it. 4th of October I received a letter from Mrs. Very soon after this two children, who were Vernon, desiring me not to come any more to twins, were brought by a poor woman in a Montague House. I had never, at this time, basket. The Princess took them, and had them mentioned the Princess's being with child, or becarried up into her room, and the Princess ing delivered of a child, to any person, not even The Princess told me to Sir John Douglas. After receiving Mrs. washed them herself. this herself. The father, a few days afterwards, Vernon's letter, I wrote to the Princess on the came and insisted on having the children, and subject. The letter was sent back unopened. they were given to him.-The Princess after- I then wrote to Mrs. Fitzgerald, saying, that I wards said to me, "You see I took the child-thought myself extremely ill-used. In two or ren, and it answered very well."-The father had got them back, and she could not blame him. That she should take other children, and have quite a nursery. I saw the Princess on a Sunday, either the 30th or 31st October, 1802,

three days after this, I received an anonymous letter which I produce, and have marked with the letter A, and signed with my name, both on the

*No copy of this letter has been sent to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.

letter and the envelope.' The Princess of Wales has told me, that she gota bed-fellow whenever she could, that nothing was more wholesome: she said, that nothing was more convenient than her room; it stands at the head of the staircase which leads into the Park, and I have bolts in the inside, and have a bed-fellow whenever I like. I wonder you can be satisfied only with Sir John. She said this more than once. She has told me that Sir Sydney Smith had lain with her. That she believed all men liked a bed-fellow, but Sir Sydney better than any body else; that the Prince was the most complaisant man in the world; that she did what she liked, went where she liked, and had what bed-fellow she liked, and the Prince paid for all.

(Signed)

CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS.
June 1, 1806.
Sworn before us, June 1st, 1806, at
Lord Grenville's, Downing-street,
Westminster.

(Signed) ERSKINE, GRENVILLE,
SPENCER, ELLENBOROUGH.

A true Copy, J. Becket.

had a key to it, and have got into the blue room without any of the servants perceiving him. I never observed any appearance of the Princess which could lead me to suppose that she was with child. I first observed Captain Manby come to Montague House either the end of 1803, or be ginning of 1804. I was waiting one day in the anti-room, Captain Manby had his hat in his hand, and appeared to be going away; he was a long time with the Princess, and as I stood on the steps, waiting, I looked into the room in which they were, and in the reflection of the lookingglass, I saw them salute each other, I mean, that they kissed each other's lips. Captain Manby then went away. I then observed the Princess have her handkerchief in her hand, and wipe her eyes as if she was crying, and went into the drawing-room. The Princess went to Southend in May, 1804, I went with her: we were there, I believe, about six weeks before the Africaine came in. Sicard was very often watching with a glass to see when the ship would arrive. One day he said he saw the Africaine, and soon after the Captain put off in a boat from the ship. Sicard went down the shrubbery to meet him. (No. 3.) The Deposition of Sir J. Douglas, Knt. When the Captain_came on shore, Sicard conI had a house at Blackheath, in 1801. Sir ducted him to the Princess's house, and he dined Sydney used to come to my house. I had a bed there with the Princess and her Ladies. After for him. The Princess of Wales formed an ac- this he came very frequently to see the Princess. quaintance with Lady Douglas, and came fre- The Princess had two houses on the Cliff, Nos. 8 and 9. She afterwards took the drawing-room quently to our house. I thought she came more for Sir Sydney Smith than for us. After she had of No. 7, which communicated by the balcony been some time acquainted with us, she appearwith No. 8, the three houses being adjoining. The Princess used to dine in No. 8, and after ed to me to be with child. One day she leaned on the sofa, and put her hand upon her stomach, and dinner to remove with the company into No. 7, said,-Sir John, I shall never be Queen of Eng- and I have several times seen the Princess, after land.—I said, Not if you don't deserve it. She having gone into No. 7 with Captain Manby and seemed angry at first. In 1804, on the 27th of the rest of the company, retire alone with CapOctober, I received two letters by the two-tain Manby from No. 7, through No. 8, into No. penny post, one addressed to me, which I now produce, and have marked with the letter (B, both on the envelope and the enclosure, and the other letter addressed to Lady Douglas, and which I now produce, and have marked with the letter (C,) both on the envelope and enclosure. JOHN DOUGLAS. (Signed) June 1. Sworn before us, at Lord Grenville's bonse, in Downing-street, Westminster, June 1, 1806. (Signed) ERSKINE, GRENVILLE,

SPENCER, ELLENBOROUGH No copy of these letters has been sent to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.

(No. 4.

The Deposition of Robert Bidgood.

I have lived with the Prince twenty-three years next September, I went to the Princess in March 1798, and have lived with Her Royal Highness ever since. About the year 1802, early in that year, I first observed Sir Sydney Smith come to Montague Honse; he used to stay very late at night; I have seen him early in the morning there about ten or eleven o'clock. He was at Sir John Douglas's; and was in the habit, as well as Sir John and Lady Douglas, of dining, or having luncheon, or supping there almost every day. I saw Sir Sydney Smith one day, in 1802, in the blue room, about eleven o'clock in the morning, which is full two hours before we ever expected to see company. I asked the servants why they did not let me know that he was there. The footman informed me that they had let no person in. There was a private door to the Park, by which he might have come in if he

9, which was the house in which the Princess
slept; I suspected that Captain Manby slept fre-
quently in the house. It was a subject of conver-
sation in the house. Hints were given by the
servants, and I believe that others suspected it
as well as myself.-The Princess took a child,
which I understood was brought into the house
by Stikeman. I waited only one week in three,
and I was not there at the time the child was
brought, but I saw it there early in 1803. The
child who is now with the Princess is the same as
I saw there early in 1803; it has a mark on its left
hand. Austin is the name of the man who was said
to be the father. Austin's wife is, 1 believe, still
alive. She has had another child,and has brought it
sometimes to Montague House. It is very like
the child who lives with the Princess. Mrs.
Gosden was employed as a nurse to the child,
and she used to bring the child to the Princess as
soon as the Princess awoke, and the child used
to stay with Her Royal Highness the whole
morning. The Princess appeared to be ex-
tremely fond of the child, and still appears so.
(Signed)
R. BIDGOOD.
Sworn at Lord Grenville's house, in
Downing-street, the 6th day of
June, 1806.

(Signed)

SPENCER.
GRENVILLE.

(No. 5.)--The Deposition of William Cole. I have lived with the Princess of Wales ever since her marriage. Sir Sydney Smith first visited at Montague House about 1802. I have ob served the Princess too familiar with Sir Sydney Smith. One day, I think about February in that

the mother brought the child back again. Whe-
ther it was a week, ten days, or a fortnight, I
cannot say, but it might be about that time,
The second time the mother brought the child,
she brought it into my room; I asked her, how a
mother could part with her child? I am not sure
which time I asked this.-The mother cried, and
said she could not afford to keep it. The child
was said to be about four months old when it was
brought. I did not particularly observe it myself.
(Signed)
FRANCES LLOYD.

year, the Princess ordered some sandwiches; I carried them into the blue room to her. Sir Sydney Smith was there; I was surprised to see him there, he must have come in from the Park; if he had been let in from Blackheath, he must have passed through the room in which I was in waiting. When I had left the sandwiches, I returned, after some time, into the room, and Sir Sydney Smith was sitting very close to the Princess, on the sofa. I looked at him and at Her Royal Highness. She caught my eye, and saw that I noticed the manner in which they were sitting together. They appeared both a little con- I was at Ramsgate with the Princess in 1809, fused when I came into the room. A short time -One morning, when we were in the house at before this, one night, about twelve o'clock, I East Cliff, somebody, I do not recollect who, saw a man go into the house from the Park, knocked at my door, and desired me to get up, wrapped up in a great coat. I did not give any to prepare breakfast for the Princess; this was alarm, for the impression on my mind was, that about six o'clock; I was asleep. During the it was not a thief. Soon after I had seen the whole time I was in the Princess's service I had Princess and Sir Sydney Smith sitting together never been called up before, to make breakfast on the sofa, the Duke of Kent sent for me, and for the Princess. I slept in the housekeeper's told me, that the Princess would be very glad if room, on the ground-floor; I opened the shatters I would do the duty in town, because she had of the windows for light. I knew at that time business to do in town which she would rather that Captain Manby's ship was in the Downs, trust to me than any body else.The Duke When I opened the shutters, I saw the Princess said, that the Princess had thought it would be walking down the garden with a gentleman; she more agreeable to me to be told this by him than was walking down the gravel walk towards the through Sicard. After this I never attended at sea. No orders had been given me over night to Montague House, but occasionally, when the prepare breakfast early. The Gentleman the Princess sent for me. About July, 1802, I ob- Princess was walking with, was a tall man; I was served that the Princess had grown very large, surprised to see the Princess walking with a and in the latter end of the same year she ap. Gentleman at that time in the morning; I am sure it was the Princess. While we were at peared to be grown thin; and I observed it to Miss Sander, who said that the Princess was Blackheath, a woman at Charlton, of the name much thinner than she had been: I had not any of Townly, told me that she had some linen to idea of the Princess being with child. Mr. Law-wash from the Princess's house; that the linen rence, the Painter, used to go to Montague House, about the latter end of 1801, when he was painting; the Princess and he have slept in the house two or three nights together. I have often seen him alone with the Princess at eleven and twelve o'clock at night. He has been there as late as one or two o'clock in the morning. One night I saw him with the Princess in the blue room, after the Ladies had retired. Some time afterwards, when I supposed that he had gone to his room, I went to see that all was safe, and I found the blue room door locked, and heard a whispering in it, and I went away.

WM. COLE.

(Signed) Sworn at Lord Grenville's house, in Downing-street, the 6th day of June, 1806, before us, (Signed)

SPENCER.

GRENVILLE.

(No. 6.)-The Deposition of Frances Lloyd. I have lived twelve years with the Princess of Wales next October. I am in the coffee-room; my situation in the coffee-room does not give me opportunities of seeing the Princess. I do not see her sometimes for months. Mr. Milles attended me for a cold. He asked me if the Prince came to Blackheath backwards and forwards, or something to that effect, for the Princess was with child, or looked as if she was with child, This must have been three or four years ago. It may have been five years ago. I think it must have been some time before the child was brought to the Princess. Iremember the child being brought, it was brought into my room. I had orders sent to me to give the mother arrow-root, with directions how to make it, to wean the child, and I gave it to the mother, and she took the child away; afterwards

was marked with the appearance of a miscarriage,
or a delivery. The woman has since left Charl
ton, but she has friends there. I think it must
have been before the child was brought to the
Princess, that the woman told us this. I know
all the women in the Princess's house. I don't
think that any of them were in a state of preg
nancy, and if any had, I think I must have
known it.-I never told Cole, that Mary Wilson,
when she supposed the Princess to be in the Li-
brary, had gone into the Princess's bed-room,
and had found a man there at breakfast with the
Princess; or that there was a great to do about
it; and that Mary Wilson was sworn to secrecy,
and threatened to be turned away if she divulged
what she had seen.

(Signed) FRANCES LLOYD.
Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in
Downing-street, the 7th day of
June, 1806, before us,

(Signed) ERSKINE, GRENVILLE,
SPENCER, ELLENBOROUGH.

(No. 7.)-The Deposition of Mary Ann Wilson. I believe it will be ten years next quarter that I have lived with the Princess of Wales as housemaid. I wait on the Ladies who attend the Princess. I remember when the child, who is now with the Princess, was brought there. Before it came I heard say that it was to come. The mother brought the child. It appeared to be about four months old when it was brought. I remember twins being brought to the Princess before this child was brought. I never noticed the Princess's shape to be different in that year from what it was before. I never had a thought that the Princess was with child. I have heard it reported. It is a good while ago. I never myself suspected her being with child. I think

(No. 10.) The Deposition of John Sicard. I have lived seven years with the Princess of Wales, am house-steward, and have been in that situation from the end of six months after I first lived with Her Royal Highness. I remember the child who is now with the Princess of Wales being brought there; it was about five months old when it was brought, it is about four years ago, just before we went to Ramsgate. I had not the least suspicion of the object of my being brought here. I had opportunity of seeing the Princess frequently; I waited on her at dinner and supper; I never observed that the Princess had the appearance of being with child: I think it was hardly possible that she should have been with child without my perceiving it. Sir Sydney Smith used to visit very frequently at Montague House, in 1802, with Sir John and Lady Douglas. He was very often, I believe, alone with the Princess, and so was Mr. Canning and other Gentlemen. I cannot say that I ever suspected Sir Sydney Smith of any improper conduct with the Princess. I never had any suspicion of the Princess acting improperly with Sir Sydney Smith, or any other Gentleman. I remember Captain Manby visiting at Montague House. The Princess of Wales did not pay for the expense of fitting up his cabin, but the linen furniture was ordered by me, by direction of the Princess, of Newberry and Jones, It was put by Newberry and Jones in the Princess's bill, and was paid for with the rest of the bill by Miss Heyman.- -(Signed) JOHN SICARD. Sworn at Lord Grenville's House, in Downing-street, the 7th day of June, 1806, before us, (Sigued) ERSKINE, GRENVILLE,

He

Her Royal Highness at Montague House. I may
have said to Cole, that the Princess was grown
much thinner, but I do not recollect that I did.
I never heard any body say any thing about the
Princess being pregnant till I came here to-day.
I did not expect to be asked any question to-day
respecting the Princess being pregnant. Nobody
came over to the Princess from Germany, in the
autumn of 1802, to my knowledge. Her Royal
Highness was generally blooded twice a year,
but not lately. I never had any reason to sup-
pose that the Princess received the visits of any
Gentleman at improper hours. Sir Sydney Smith
visited her frequently, and almost daily.
was there very late, sometimes till two o'clock
in the morning. I never saw Sir Sydney Smith
in a room alone with the Princess late at night.
I never saw any thing which led me to suppose
that Sir Sydney Smith was on a very familiar
footing with the Princess of Wales, I attended
the Princess of Wales to Southend. She had
two houses, No. 9 and No. 8. I knew Captain
Manby; he commanded the Africaine; he visitedTM
the Princess while his ship was there; he was
frequently with the Princess. I do not know or
believe, and I have no reason to believe, that
Captain Manby stayed till very late hours with
the Princess. I never suspected that there was
any improper familiarity between them. I never
expressed to any body a wish that Capt. Manby's
visits were not so frequent. If the Princess had
company, I was never present. The Princess
was at Ramsgate in 1803; I have seen Captain
Mauby there frequently. He came to the
Princess's house to dinner; he never stayed till
late at night at the Princess's house. I was in
Devonshire with the Princess lately; there was
no one officer that she saw when she was in De-
vonshire more than the rest. I never heard from
the Princess that she apprehended her conduct
was questioned. When I was brought here I
thought I might be questioned respecting the
Princess's conduct, and I was sorry to come; I
don't know why I thought so; I never saw any
thing in the conduct of the Princess, while I lived
with her, which would have made me uneasy if
I had been her husband. When I was at South-
end, I dined in the Steward's room. I can't say
whether I ever heard any body in the Steward's
room say any thing about the Captain (meaning
Captain Manby); it is so long ago, I may have
forgot it; I have seen Captain Manby alone with
the Princess, at No. 9, in the drawing-room, at
Southeud; I have seen it only once or twice; it
was at two or three o'clock in the afternoon, and
never later. I slept in a room next to the
Princess, in the house No. 9, at Southend; I
never saw Captain Manby in any part of that
house but the drawing-room; I have no reason
to believe he was in any other room in the house.
I was at Catherington with the Princess; she
was at Mr. Hood's house; I never saw any fami-
liarity between her and Mr. Hood; I have seen
her drive out in Mr. Hoods carriage with him
alone; it was a gig; they used to be absent for
several hours; a servant of the Princess attend-
Ied them; I have delivered packets by the order
of the Princess, which she gave me, sealed up,
to Sicard, to be by him forwarded to Captain
Manby. The birth-day of the child who lives
with the Princess is the 11th of July, as his mo-
ther told me; she says that he was christened at
Deptford. The child had a mark on the hand,
the mother told me that it was from red wine; Í

SPENCER, ELLENBOROUGH.

(No. 11.)-The Deposition of Charlotte Sander. I have lived with the Princess of Wales eleven years. I am a native of Brunswick, and came with the Princess from Brunswick. The Princess has a little boy living with her under her protection; he had a mark on his hand, but it is worn off; I first saw him four years ago, in the Autumn. The father and mother of the child are still alive; I have seen them both; the father worked in the Dock-yard at Deptford, but has now lost the use of his limbs; the father's name is Austin. The mother brought the child to the Princess when he was four months old; I was present when the child was brought to the Princess; she was in her own room up stairs, when the child was brought; she came out, and took the child herself. I understood that the child was expected before it was brought. I am sure that I never saw the child in the house before it appeared to be four months old. The Princess was not ill or indisposed in the autumn of 1802. I was dresser to Her Royal Highness; she could not be ill or indisposed without my knowing it. I am sure that she was not coufined to her room, or to her bed in that autumn; there was not, to my knowledge, any other child in the house; it was hardly possible there could have been a child there without my knowing it. have no recollection that the Princess had grown bigger in the year 1802 than usual; I am sure the Princess was not pregnant; being her dresser, I must have seen it, if she was. I solemnly and positively swear I have no reason to know or believe that the Princess of Wales has been at any time pregnant during the time I have lived with

4

ง