The Grey property thus passed wholly into the possession of Mrs.
Williams. The girl grew up rough, awkward and ugly, incapable of
refinement and even gross in her morals. She finally married a minister
by the name of Gillespie.
Meanwhile, the heirs of Mrs. James Grey had gained some sort of
information which led them to suspect that the returned girl was no
relation of their uncle John Grey, and in 1789 they brought a lawsuit
to recover their mother's half of the property. By this time endless
complications had arisen. Mrs. Williams was dead: her half of her first
husband's farm had been bequeathed to her second husband's kindred, and
was now in part held by them and in part had been bought by half a
dozen others. The supposed daughter, Mrs. Gillespie, had died, as had
her husband, and their share had passed to his relations. It had become
almost impossible for the most astute lawyers to find beginning, middle
or end to the claims which were set forth. Plenty of evidence was
collected to show that Mrs. Williams had substituted a stranger for her
own child, and the decision finally rested on this, and the property
was given up to the heirs of Mrs. James Grey.
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