In March 1858 Louisa Gorton aged 25, wife of Jabaz Gorton, was charged with obtaining goods by false pretences. Three charges were brought:
1) On 27th June 1857, and then on 1st and 3rd July 1857, she obtained articles of drapery and grocery worth £10- 7s- 9d, that she said she wanted for her marriage to Jabez Gorton, on credit from shopkeeper Hannah Longdon of Spondon. Using the name Ann Shaw, she falsely claimed to be a servant of local farmer Mr Nuttal and that she had £70 saved in her bank account in Uttoxeter. She did not pay for the goods.
2) Geo Gorton, pork butcher of Traffic Street, Derby testified. “ I am brother to Jabez Gorton of Chaddesden, labourer. On Sunday the 29th June I went to my father’s house at Chaddesden, and there saw the prisoner for the first time. I there learned my brother was going to be married to her on the following Saturday. My father said she wanted to borrow three sovereigns and proposed I should lend it to her. Prisoner said she had £70 in the Uttoxeter Bank, and was going over home in a few days and would draw some money out and pay me back. I took it for granted that she had the money and would do as she said, and thereupon I lent her three sovereigns.”
3) Obtaining goods from Mr Wooliscroft of Ilkestone, in the name of Mr Canner, of Locko Garage.
Her claims to be working for Mr Nuttal and to have money in the Uttoxeter Bank were disproved by witnesses.
She was found Guilty on the first two charges. The Chairman in passing sentence said that was not the first time she had stood to receive sentence:
At Stafford Michaelmas Sessions in 1853 she was sentenced to three months for obtaining goods under false pretences. At the Epiphany Sessions in 1854 she was sentenced to six months, and in the same year she was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment for similar offences.
She was sentenced to three years penal servitude.
(Sources: Derby Mercury 14th April 1858 & Derby Mercury 24th March 1858)
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Topic: The Corton Family Chaddesden (Read 3108 times)