Breach of Promise

Remember Benjamin Feldman? He's a historian who has made a famous breach of promise case, involving two Hudsonians, his favorite topic of scholarly investigation. Lawsuits over breach of matrimonial promise were not uncommon in the 19th century, but this one was unique in that it was the gentleman who was suing the lady. In 1835, George Barnard, an impoverished artist, sued Mary Power, the daughter of the wealthy Hudson steamboat owner, for jilting him to marry a man of greater means, John Gaul.

Feldman delivered a lecture on the topic a few years ago at Historic Hudson's annual meeting. He has written about the notorious case in the current issue of Columbia County History & Heritage Magazine and on his blog, Sauce for the Goose. Anyone who's in New York City this week can hear Feldman speak on the topic on Wednesday, August 3, at 7 p.m., at the Brookyn Historical Society.