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Chelmsford County Court
June 6
(Before his honour Judge Abdy)

DANBURY CURIOUS CASE UNDER
A POST NUPTIAL SETTLEMENT.
"SHABBY STEP-PARENTS"

Christiana Jessie Langman, through her husband Thomas Langman formerly Landlord of The Cricketers Inn Danbury, against George A Musgrove and Emma Musgrove his wife. This was a claim for an account to be taken of the sum of £60' money received by the defendants for the plaintiff under the terms of a post-nuptial settlement. Mr Kenyon Parker' barrister. appeared for the plaintiff; Mr W. Turner, was for the defendants.
Mr Parker said the plaintiff was entitled to a sum of money
under a post-nuptial settlement, which received that under a will Mrs Musgrove ( the first wife of the defedant and mother of the plaintiff; she has since died, and the defendant married the present female defendant) was entitled a sum of £12,000, and she wanted to make a voluntary settledment of it. £6000 was at once transferred to the trustees, under the settlement and the remaining £6,000 was assigned to the trustees under the settlement, which was on trust for Mrs Musgrove for life, after her death for George Musgrove and after that to Cristiana Musgrove the presnt plaintiff. In October 1885 the plaintiff was about to be married to Mr Langman, and she applied to the trustees, with the consent of the defendants, for an advance of £60 for providing for her trouseaux. This was agreed to and Mr Starling the solicitor handed to the plaintiff, in the presence of Mr and Mrs Musgrove a cheque for £60, and at the same time telling the defendants that it was trust money and that it was all to be expended for the benefit of the plaintiff. The parties went to the Uhion Bank and cashed the cheque in gold Mrs Musgrove put in her bag, They then went to a Post Office and prepared an order for £14 which Mrs Musgrove remmitted to Messrs Hill their brewers, in payment of bill. They proceeded from here to several shops, purchasing a lot of things for the defendants and also some things for the wedding outfit. The plaintiff received no part of the £60 in money; the dress came to £14 .. 4s .. 6d. The marriage of the plaintiff took placr on the 4th November and on applying to Mr Musgrove for some money he gave her 2s and said, "Now you have married Tom Langman he must keep you." In some correspondence that followed between the solicitors Mr Tanner admitted the debt of £14 the brewers' bill which would be paid as soon as certain prosedures in Chancery were settled.- Mr Parker called Mr Starling who corrobated.
Mrs Langman the plaintiff who will be 20 next October said that after drawing the £60 from the bank Mrs Musgrove sent £ 14 to her brewers and bought herself a lot of china etc out of the plaintiff's £60; witness received nothing of the £60 on that day for herself, but on the day of her marriage her step father gave her 2s and said her husband must keep her.
Cross-examined; Her wedding took place from the Cricketers, Danbury, where she had been living with Mr and Mrs Musgrove: she did not autorise Mrs Musgrove tyo get the dinner and tea service for the wedding breakfast.
Mr Tanner said it was clear on the evidence that Mr Musgrove had nothing to do with the expenditure of the £60, which was spent by Mrs Musgrove and Mrs Langman. He submitted that Mr Musgrove had acted fairly and honestly - by offering the £14 admitted as soon as the account of the income of the trust fund had been taken by the court of Chancery: and by offering to keep Mrs Langman.
His honour said he was going to tax Mrs Musgrove all he could, for as dirty and shabby a piece of conduct as he has ever listened to. The learned Judge strongly denounced the conduct of Mr and Mrs Musgrove towards this young girl and said he wanted to mark his indignation at it. He should order that an account be taken against both of the defendants and what ever sum of money was owing was to be handed over to the plaintiff. He hoped the something of benefit to the plaintiff would come of it. The costs would follow the judgement.