Wild Romance
Theresa Longworth met William Charles Yelverton on board a steamship in 1852. They embarked on a long romance, initially via correspondence, which culminated in two marriage ceremonies – one in Edinburgh and the other in Dublin. Neither marriage was properly registered and nor were any witnesses present. Shortly afterwards the couple separated and in time Yelverton married another woman. Theresa sought legal redress and so began a scandal that rocked the moral world they lived in and inspired Wilkie Collins to write Man and Wife.
The trials – carried out in both Scotland and Ireland – were sensational and made for frenzied reporting in the press. The verdicts, when they came, muddied the waters still further. The Irish court found for Theresa, the Scottish court found against her. Only an appeal to the House of Lords could settle the issue.
What became of the erstwhile lovers? Yelverton inherited the title of Viscount Avonmore and lived on with his second wife and their children. Theresa turned to writing and travelled the world.
Chloë Schama has a great storytelling skill and spins an intriguing tale out of this Victorian scandal. She really brings the characters to life and the trials themselves make for interesting reading. A nicely put together historical biography and I look forward to seeing more of her work in future.
