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| 28th Apr 1813 - Charles Dickson "Duped by Brown?" |  |
This letter highlights that financial deception is nothing new!
 The letter reads as follows.
To: William Borthwick, East Lothian Bank, Dunbar.
From: Charles Dickson, Edinburgh.
Dated: 28th April 1813.
Sir,
I have delayed writing you on the unfortunate subjects of Mr. Brown’s Bills. As you are, I dare say, aware that all my acceptances we to accommodate him, I need not now assure you that not one single farthing went to me; & all those already retired were taken up by funds furnished by him. The intention of this letter, however, is to represent my situation, and allow me to say, that I condemn my foolish conduct on adhibiting my name to any bills of his, but he told me that you held sufficient security from his friends, and in the event of any unpleasant circumstances happening, I would never be troubled upon the subject as they would come forward.
I am only a Writing Clerk to Mr. James Hope, in whose office I make from £70 to £90 a year out of which I have to keep myself and support my mother, who lost her husband only two months ago; and am sure you are sensible of my inability to pay any thing, and putting me in jail would only be affecting me and rendering you no benefit. I have no friends who will come forward as they are all labouring people who are working for their daily bread. I would, therefore, thank you, & would esteem it as an everlasting obligation, if you would say what your intentions are in regard to me; as I am rendered almost miserable in consequence of my foolish conduct, and I cannot think of communicating such to my old & helpless Mother.
I am
Your most obedient servant,
Chas Dickson,
At Mr. Jas. Napier W.S.
This is one of those letters where the contents are fascinating although the clues to assist in the identification of the parties are few. Unfortunately I cannot identify Charles Dickson and whilst I can locate a Scottish Writer named James Napier, this adds nothing to the letter.
James Hope was, I believe, a prominent Edinburgh solicitor and I did note that Thomas Telford both appointed him as an Executor in his will and was kind enough to leave him £500. I am also aware that the famous Scottish novelist, Sir Walter Scott, was a School–fellow of James Hope and that Hope died in Edinburgh in November 1842.
"William Borthwick" was the Cashier for the East Lothian Bank. In 1822 he absconded from this position with his disappearance being the trigger for the failure of the Bank.
Here we have a situation where “Mr. Brown” and Charles Dickson appear to have been exchanging bills on each other with the intention of Brown obtaining cash. The suggestion is that all previous bills have been paid, using money provided to Charles Dickson by Brown, although, of late, a number of bills have not been honoured and Charles Dickson is now liable to the East Lothian Bank for the sums outstanding.
The use of the words “accommodate him” suggest that there was no actual transaction of value between Brown and Dickson and it was merely the exchange of paper with a view to raising cash. One individual would make out a credit note for an amount repayable by a date in the future. The recipient would then make out a counter-bill to the same amount and the issuer would present this bill for payment. These counter-bills were usually held in reserve but were sometimes cashed by the issuing body. If the issuing body could not meet its obligations and the bill proved worthless, the recipient was liable for the entire sum drawn. If, however, the issuing body had cashed or circulated the counter-bill, the recipient was again liable for the amount for which it had been granted. In other words, the recipient would be required to repay the same loan twice. Such bills were treated with suspicion and actively discouraged by Scottish Banks towards the middle of the century.
 In this case it is possible that Charles Dickson has been duped by Brown and now finds himself wholly liable having accepted the bill by accommodation. There is nothing new in the world of fraud.
Dickson advises that he is a “Writing Clerk to Mr. James Hope” which suggests that he has was employed by a solicitor to carry out routine legal works no doubt including the writing of letters for signature by Hope. He earns “from £70 to £90 a year” which would – by reference to the Retail Price Index – be in the region of £3,350 - £4,300 per annum today. This does seem lowly paid although using the RPI to calculate “spend ability” can be misleading due to various social factors.
Dickson has clearly found himself in a very difficult position either due to his naive actions or due to him being party to a fraud. In any event he looks to plead poverty and, on the possibility of this not obtaining the required relief from the obligation, he advises Borthwick that he supports his Mother; that she has been recently widowed and that she is “old & helpless.”
Poverty in any age must be an unpleasant experience although the reference to jail would be a real possibility for Dickson.
What happened next?...... I wish I knew. |
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