for felony.

His history was well known to the authorities, who were prepared to
prove, had it been necessary, that he had been convicted of
horse-stealing in 1811, and had been sentenced to death--a sentence
which was commuted; that he had married one of the servants of Sir
John Smyth, and had deserted her, and that he had fled from Bath to
escape the punishment of the vilest offences perpetrated during his
residence in the City of Springs. But it was needless to produce more
damning testimony than was brought forward. For twenty years the world
has heard nothing more of the sham Sir Richard Hugh Smyth.

LAVINIA JANNETTA HORTON RYVES--THE PRETENDED PRINCESS OF CUMBERLAND.

In 1866, Mrs. Lavinia Jannetta Horton Ryves, and her son, William Henry
Ryves, appeared before the English courts in support of one of the
most extraordinary petitions on record. Taking advantage of the
Legitimacy Declaration Act, they alleged that Mrs. Ryves was the
legitimate daughter of John Thomas Serres and Olive his wife, and that
the mother of Mrs. Ryves was the legitimate daughter of Henry Frederick
Duke of Cumberland and Olive Wilmot, his wife, who were married by Dr.
Wilmot, at the Grosvenor Square mansion of Lord Archer, on the 4th of
March, 1767. They also asserted that Mrs. Ryves had been lawfully
married to her husband, and that her son was legitimate; and asked the
judges to pronounce that the original marriage between the Duke of
Cumberland and Olive Wilmot was legal; that their child Olive, who
afterwards became Mrs. Serres, was legitimate; that their grandchild
Mrs. Ryves had been lawfully married to her husband; and that
consequently the younger petitioner was their legitimate son and heir.
The Attorney-General (Sir Roundell Palmer) filed an answer denying the
legality of the Cumberland marriage, or that Mrs. Serres was the
legitimate daughter of the duke. There was no dispute as to the fact
that the younger petitioner, W.H. Ryves, was the legitimate son of his
father and mother. The case was heard before Lord Chief-Justice
Cockburn, Lord Chief-Baron Pollock, Sir James Wilde, and a special
jury.

The opening speech of the counsel for the claimant revealed a story
which was very marvellous, but which, without the strongest
corroborative testimony, was scarcely likely to be admitted to be
true. According to his showing Olive Wilmot was the daughter of Dr.
James Wilmot, a country clergyman, and fellow of a college at Oxfo