During the Regency period, the spa town of Leamington, Warwickshire, now known as Royal Leamington Spa, became another very popular place to take the beneficial waters at the Pump Rooms, to dance and socialise, so arguably it wasn’t uncommon for young people to meet their future spouse at such a place and this a story about one such couple who met about 1825.
Rather than meet and eventually marry, this couple, for some unexplained reason, decided to elope. You can just imagine how tongues would wag when such news broke. The newspapers of August 1825 described Leamington as being ‘in uproar’ over such a scandal.
This case centred around a young lady, Theodosia Cavendish, the protégée of Lady Musgrave and a young gentleman, by the name of Allen Hurrell, son of William Hurrell, Esq. of Foxton Hall, Cambridge.
Allen’s interest in Theodosia did not however, escape the attention of Lady Musgrave who took it upon herself to write to Allen’s father to appraise him of this unsuitable acquaintance. The match did not meet the wishes of his father, William Hurrell Esq, of Foxton Hall, Cambridgeshire either.
Allen was advised that visits would no longer be permitted, and Theodosia was watched very much more closely by Lady Musgrave, just to ensure that the young couple had no opportunity to meet.
However, whilst Lady Musgrave was at busy socialising at the assembly one day, having safely, or so she thought, locked Theodosia in her apartment, Allen broke into the apartment by breaking a door panel to free her from her prison.
He had apparently planned this escape in every detail with a chaise being set up in readiness to receive the fugitives, and without a moments delay they made their escape, and were married the following day at All Saints church, West Bromwich, Allen having obtained a licence on 12 August 1825, in readiness. Allen, it would appear, had also organised for two gentlemen to act as witnesses to the wedding, an Edward Cary and a Robert Fulwood.
The conclusion of this escape appears to be that despite being too late, Allen was apprehended by some of his friends, but the deed was already done.
The account in the newspaper, Common Sense, 28 August 1825,
The happy bridegroom is of a very respectable family, and the lovely bride is of high descent.
Interestingly, further newspapers carried details of their marriage, but made no mention that they had eloped – so did they or didn’t they? But why elope? Both were from very respectable families; both were aged just over 21. It would appear unlikely that she was pregnant, so was it simply out of love for each other? The truth is, that we may never really know and was the elopement part of story was even true?
If, both parties were, as it seems, were of respectable families, then there must have been another, yet undiscovered reason.
The Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, 26 August 1825 reported that:
Theodosia was the second daughter of a Captain Henry Cavendish, late of the Royal Irish Artillery and niece to the late Right Honourable Sir Henry Cavendish, and Lady Waterpark.
So, what became of this pair of runaways? Well, despite being a runaway couple, they remained together for life and went on to have five children, William Cavendish (1827-1877); Henry Thomas Waterpark (1829-1891); Maria Elizabeth (1829-1914); Martha Rose (1831-1926) and finally, Charles Cavendish (1839-1880).
Following the couple via census returns they remained together until finally separated when Allen died in 1873. Theodosia died in 1882.
All Things Georgian 