Family:Charles Bloomfield and Constance Raymond (1)

UNUSUAL COURT CASE. A Blind Street Musician And His Wife. His Honor Mr Justice Cooper, sitting in the divorce and matrimonial causes jurisdiction of the Supreme Court on Saturday, dealt with a somewhat peculiar petition. A blind man named Charles Albert Bloomfield, who earns his living with a graphophone or some such mechanical musical contrivance at the street corners, petitioned for the restitution of conjugal rights with his wife, Constance Anna Bloomfield, formerly of Raymond. Mr T M Wilford appeared for the petitioner, but the respondent was not present, and had not entered an appearance. Mr Wilford read a letter from her, which, although evidently penned by a woman of fair education and no mean intelligence, was hardly the kind of epistle that would be expected from a loving spouse. She positively declined to live with her husband again, and her attitude towards him may be understood from the following extract : — You have often said," she wrote, "that you know you are hardly a congenial mate, and that your blindness might, and would, appeal to some women's affections when nothing else would; but it does not do so for me. Your very helplessness, your enforced uselessness, and your peculiar ways have turned me more and more against you." The petitioner gave evidence, and stated that the marriage took place on December 2nd, 1902, at Auckland, and he had lived with his wife at St Hellier's Bay and at Hope Creek. His present headquarters were in Wellington, and he was continually moving about and travelling anywhere between Auckland and Invercargill. He had sent his wife LI every week until a month ago, and since then he had sent her 1 0s weekly. He had the custody of his child, Constance Huia Mills Bloomfield, who was well looked after by a widow named Mary Ann Brown, who also led him about the streets. If his wife returned to him he could afford to keep her comfortably. His Honor said if he bad been asked to dissolve the marriage he would have hesitated about making a decree; but as the proceedings were instituted to bring the couple together again if possible, he would grant the prayer of petition. Order accordingly. Grey River Argus 1905 New Zealand