Shrigley abduction
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The Shrigley abduction was a British case of an attempted forced marriage of young heiress Ellen Turner to later colonial politician Edward Gibbon Wakefield.
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[edit] Background
Ellen Turner was the daughter and only child of William Turner, a wealthy resident of Pott Shrigley, Cheshire, England, who owned calico printing and spinning mills. At the time of the abduction, Turner was a High Sheriff of Cheshire. He lived in Shrigley Hall, near Macclesfield. Ellen was then fifteen years old, was one of the most eligible heiresses and in the February of 1827 attracted the interest of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who begun to conspire with his brother William Wakefield to get his hands on her inheritance.
Edward Wakefield was 31 years old; he had been a King's Messenger (diplomatic courier) as a teen-ager, and later a diplomat. At age 20 he eloped to Scotland with a 17-year-old heiress, Eliza Pattle. Her parents accepted the marriage and settled £70,000 on the young couple. However, Eliza died after four years. Edward had political ambitions and wanted more money. He tried to break his father-in-law's will and was suspected of perjury and forgery. He apparently based his plan to marry Ellen on the expectation that her parents would respond as Eliza's had.
[edit] False summons
On 7 March 1827, Wakefield sent his servant Edward Thevenot with a carriage to Liverpool, where Ellen was a pupil at a boarding school. Thevenot presented a message to the Misses Daulby, the mistresses of the school. (The Misses Daulby were the daughters of Daniel Daulby, a well-known Liverpool collector and author of The Collected Works of Rembrandt (1796).) The message stated that William Turner had become paralyzed and wished to see his daughter immediately. The Misses Daulby were initially suspicious of the fact that Ellen did not recognize Thevenot but eventually let him take her away.
Thevenot and Ellen Turner went to Manchester, where Thevenot took her to Hotel Albion to meet Wakefield. Wakefield told her that her father's business had collapsed, and that Wakefield had agreed to take her to Carlisle, where Mr. Turner had supposedly fled to escape his creditors.
The party proceeded to Kendal, where the next day Wakefield now told Ellen that her father was actually a fugitive. He further claimed that there was an agreement between two banks that some of her father's estate would be transferred to her or, to be exact, her husband. He said that his banker uncle had proposed that Wakefield marry Ellen, and that if she would agree to marry Wakefield, her father would be saved. Ellen allowed them to take her to Carlisle. There they met William Wakefield, who claimed to have spoken to Mr. Turner and that Mr. Turner had also agreed to the marriage.
Ellen finally consented and the Wakefields took her over the border of Scotland to Gretna Green, the favorite place of elopement for those who wanted to exploit the less strict marriage laws of Scotland. There Ellen and Edward were married by blacksmith David Laing.
They returned to Carlisle, where Ellen said she wanted to see her father. Wakefield agreed to take her to Shrigley, but instead took her to Leeds. Wakefield then claimed he had a meeting in Paris that he could not postpone, and had to go to France by way of London. He sent his brother off, ostensibly to invite Mr. Turner to meet them in London. Wakefield and Ellen continued to London. In London, Wakefield, accompanied by Ellen, pretended to inquire after his brother and Mr. Turner. At Blake's Hotel, a valet (probably bribed) told them that Mr. Turner and William Wakefield had gone to France. So of course Wakefield and Ellen had to follow them. Wakefield took Ellen to Calais.
[edit] Suspicions arise
After a few days, Miss Daulby became concerned. Mr. Turner and his wife received a letter from Wakefield, stating that he had married Ellen.
Wakefield had apparently expected that William Turner would accept the marriage rather than face a public scandal. Instead, Turner went to London and asked for help from the police. He learned that his daughter had been taken to the Continent. Turner sent his brother to Calais, accompanied by a police officer and a solicitor. There they soon found the couple staying near the docks.
Ellen expressed pleasure at seeing her uncle; at that stage she had presumably found out the truth of the whole affair. Wakefield claimed that since they were legally married, she could not be taken from him by force. French authorities interviewed Ellen and finally let her leave the country with her uncle. Wakefield, trying to make the best of his situation, wrote out a statement that Ellen was still a virgin and left for Paris.
[edit] Arrest and trial
British police issued warrants for the Wakefields' arrest and William Wakefield was arrested in Dover a couple of days later. He was taken to Cheshire where magistrates debated on what exact offense he had committed. He was finally committed to Lancaster Castle to await trial. The Court of King's Bench later released him on £2,000 bail plus and two sureties of £1,000 each.
Edward Thevenot and the Wakefields' stepmother Frances were also indicted as accomplices. Both brothers and their stepmother appeared in court and pled "not guilty". Thevenot, who was still in France, was indicted for felony in absentia.
The trial of William Wakefield began on 21 March 1827 with great publicity - but without Edward Wakefield, who was arrested later. On 23 March 1827 all three defendants were put on trial in Lancaster. The jury found all of them guilty the same day. They were committed to the Lancaster Castle in the following day.
On 14 May the Wakefields were taken to the Court of King's Bench in Westminster Hall in London, where William said that he had been working under the guidance of his brother. Edward Wakefield also swore that the legal expenses had exceeded £3,000. Both brothers were sentenced to three years in prison. Edward in Newgate prison and William in Lancaster Castle. Frances Wakefield was released. Since the marriage had not been consummated, Parliament easily annulled it the next day.
[edit] Aftermath
After his release Edward Wakefield became active in prison reform. He also became very involved in colonial affairs, and had roles in the development of South Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. William Wakefield became an early leader in the colonization of New Zealand. William Turner was elected MP for Lancaster as a Whig in 1832, serving until 1841.
Ellen Turner was married at the age of 17 to Thomas Legh, a wealthy neighbor. She died in childbirth at the age of 19 and was survived by a son.
[edit] Books
- Kate Atkinson - Abduction - the story of Ellen Turner
- Audrey Jones & Abby Ashby - The Shrigley Abduction
