The Campbell divorce case : copious report of the trial / With numerous portraits of those concerned drawn from life by Harold Furniss.

Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Campbell divorce case : copious report of the trial / With numerous portraits of those concerned drawn from life by Harold Furniss. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    It appeared that in September, 1880, Lady Colin—then Hiss Blood--was- staying with some friends in Scotland, not far from the residence of the Duke of Argyll. On that occasion Miss Blood met Lord Colin, who was- enjoying the sports of the season, and he appeared to have been greatly attracted by Miss Blood, who he then met for the first time. Miss Blood was a young lady of no inconsiderable gifts and accomplishments, and there was little doubt that his lordship fell in love with her. There was no doubt she returned sincerely and truly the affection which he conceived for her. There was no reason to suggest that the marriage was other than a marriage- based on sincere and mutual affection. Miss Blood brought her husband, no considerable fortune ; whilst Lord Colin, though occupying a good social position, was of circumscribed means, the total amount which he brought, into settlement being about £10,000. After an acquaintanceship not very prolonged, Lord Colin proposed to Miss Blood, and she, subject to the- matter being mentioned to Lord Colin’s father and her own father and mother, accepted him. It was right to say that whilst the Duke of Argyll desired a more auspicious alliance for his son, he yielded to the earnest desire of Lord Colin, and was so a consenting party to the engagement and to the marriage which followed. He, and other members of the Argyll family, attended the marriage ceremony. Lord Colin was at the time in feeble health; he was, in fact, subject to a disease of a peculiar and painful nature, which he would refer to in detail hereafter, but which for the moment he would pass over by saying it was known as perineal fistula. In October, 1880, Lord Colin returned to London, where he visited Miss Blood’s parents and friends. To them he stated that he was shortly to undergo what he described as a slight opera- tion, and that no serious consequences were likely to follow. The operation was performed in October, 1880, Lord Colin remaining for a month an inmate and an invalid in the private hospital of Sir Henry Thompson, who- performed the operation. His recovery was slow, fever, he believed, having attacked him. In November the mind of Mr. Blood not unnaturally fell into serious consideration as to Lord Colin’s condition, and he asked him to tell him both frankly and truthfully, as a man engaged to his daughter and shortly to be married to her, whether his illness had anything to do with bachelor indiscretions. Mr. Blood received f om Lord Colin a solemn assurance that there was no foundation for the suggestion. After that. Lord Colin remained in hospital for some time longer. He started on a voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, in January, 1881, and was absent till the month of March, wdien it was contemplated that the marriage would) take place; but he was not then recovered, and it was arranged that the marriage should be postponed until later. He was obliged, in April, to undergo a further operation, which was performed by Mr. Allingham, another surgeon, In the month of May he went to stay with his brother. Lord George Campbell, in Bryanston-square. At that time the marriage was fixed to take place in the month of July, and at that time Lord Colin Campbell was still more or less an invalid. At that period he conveyed to his intended wife, as delicately as could be done, the fact that although he was ready to go through the marriage ceremony, yet it was advisable that they should occupy separate apartments. Finally, on July 21, 1881, the parties were married. It might be convenient, perhaps, if the jury took note of a few important dates. The dates he would ask them to fix were the engagement in September, 1880; the operation in October, 1880; the voyage to the Cape of Good Hope in January, 1881; the postponement of the marriage in March, 1881; the second operation in April, 1881, by Mr.