QSR1865/4/5/12

Depositions of William Thomas Sturges, brickmaker of Turvey. Thomas Andrews, employee of William Sturges of Turvey. Captain Sidmouth Skipwith of the Royal Navy. In the case of Charles Henry Warren accused of obtaining 1200 bricks, the value of £1 12s, by false pretences.

13 September 1865

From: 1865 To: 1865

William Thomas Sturgess: a brickmaker of Turvey. He supplied bricks to the accused on credit to a considerable amount. On 5 August the defendant was indebted to him. He saw the accused who asked him to supply 1200 bricks on credit. The accused said they were to be used at Woodside House where Captain Skipwith lived. He refused as the defendant already owed him so much. He told Warren that he had no objection to supplying them to Captain Skipwith but refused to supply them to him unless they were paid for. He saw Warren again on 9 August and he said he had seen the Captain and was to get the brick from him as the Captain would see him paid if they were charge to his account. He sent 1200 bricks to Woodside House the next morning. Warren said “if you are not going to supply the bricks to me I shall not help to unload them”. He saw Warren a few days later and Warren said he had taken on the contract and that he should place the bricks on his account now. He told the accused that as Captain Skipwith had ordered the bricks it was Captain Skipwith he would look to for the money. He sent the Captain a bill the same day but received no reply. He should not have supplied the good to Warren if he had not told him that Captain Skipwith he ordered them. He had not seen Captain Skipwith for weeks. [cross examination] it was not the custom to send invoices. He had delivered an invoice to Mr Warren and he did not pay the £75 for goods for 3 weeks before he took proceedings. He had not dealt with Warren for 15 years. The bill came from his father’s place and Warren had not paid him £34 a few weeks before. He had not told the prisoner he would not settle it and that he was in a position to put him into trouble. After they had received a note from Captain Skipwith the defendant had said he had not put the goods to him and if he sent a bill he would pay the money. He told Warren he would do nothing of the kind. On 10 August he supplied bricks which he had never been paid for. He had not lent the prisoner money. He had not said he would bring Warren to the ground if it cost him £50. He said he had to prosecute. The bricks he supplied on 10 August were for the Reformatory. Warren said if he did not have them then Sturgess would not get the money for the others for the Reformatory. Warren had given him authority from the Chairman to receive the money. The bricks were to complete the contract. Thomas Andrews: he worked for Mr Sturges. He took some bricks from Sturges to Captain Skipwith on 10 August by the direction of Mr Sturges. Bellamy, Captain Skipwith’s man, helped unload them. He took 3 loads. Sidmouth Skipwith: he lived at Woodside House, Turvey. He did not, in August, authorise the accused to pledge his credit with Mr Sturges for any bricks. He did not tell Warren to get bricks from Mr Sturges and he would see him paid. He did not say the bricks were to be put on his account. He did not know the bricks were put in his name until he received the bill.

item

Warren, Charles Henry,
Sturges, William Thomas,
Andrews, Thomas,
Skipwith, Sidmouth

stealing, brickworker, TURVEY, Turvey Woodside House, Captain in Royal Navy, brickmaker