Charles Cullan

341

Maureen Withey on 5th March 2025

Irish Convict Database, by Peter Mayberry Charles Callan, alias James Crosbie, age on arrival, 26, per Sarah (1) 1829, Tried London England, 1829, 14 years, for Embezzlement. DOB 1803, native place, Dublin. Married, 1 child. Catholic. Trade, Custom House clerks agent. Tried at the Old Bailey, 11 June 1829. 1209. CHARLES CALLAN was indicted for embezzling the sum of 13l. 7s. 10d., which he had received on account of Henry Taylor , his master , he having been before convicted of felony. HENRY TAYLOR . I am a Custom-house agent . The prisoner had been my clerk for about seven months - I entrusted him to receive money on my account and to pay it; Mrs. Thacker owed me 13l. 7s. 10d. - I never sent him for that money; it had been due to me about two months; she lived in Hertfordshire; I never inquired of the prisoner respecting it; I wrote to Mrs. Thacker for the amount - the prisoner had left my employ about a fortnight before that; he never said any thing to me about this money - I settled all accounts with him at the time he left me. Cross-examined by MR. PHILLIPS. Q. You of course paid him all you owed him, and there was a balance struck? A. He owes me something now; he left a cage and two birds at my counting-house, and wished me to buy them for 12s., but I refused; I had a dispute with him, and discharged him, but he said he was in distress, and should feel obliged if I would give him a few days employ, and I sent him on messages; I cannot swear how long I kept him; at the time he brought the cage a captain was there who had paid him money which he had not handed to me, and I told him to leave the counting-house and never come again; I do not think he remained with me a single day after that - a gentleman once gave him an old sofa for his attention to him at the docks; I cannot now recollect whether that ever came into my possession, so many things pass in the course of a twelvemonth - if I did, I gave it to one of the men, at the docks - but it is a trifling circumstance, and I cannot say whether I had it or not; I only say, if it was given to the prisoner, it was given away again to some of the men, and I must have given him a compensation for it; I have had many such things in my possession; I do recollect something about one, but what it was I do not know; it was not worth 5s. - it was an Indian couch, they are sold at 10s. new; I remember one was given to him, but whether I ever had it I cannot say; I did not authorise him to receive money generally, but I have sent him for money, and if any was brought to the counting-house he received it; I cannot say whether I told the Magistrate he was not authorised; he did receive small sums such as 1l. or 2l.; I know Captain Liddel , he was not on board the Wellington; I have a hundred small accounts, and cannot recollect them all; I have no recollection of desiring him to borrow money on my account for dock charges - but it is common with us, if we want to ship goods in a hurry, to borrow money till the morning to pay the dock charges. COURT. Q. Did the prisoner ever demand any thing as due by you to him? A.Never; I made this charge about a week or a fortnight after he left. MARY ANN WEBBER. I live at No. 48, Chiswell-street, Finsbury. I carried a letter, containing money, to the prisoner; the letter appeared to me to contain money - I felt money in it: I staid while it was opened; it was from Mrs. Thacker, directed to Mr. Taylor - I took it to the East India Chambers, Leadenhall-street, which was Mr. Taylor's counting-house; I delivered the letter to the prisoner, and was in the counting-house when it was opened: I did not positively see him open it- I said I had brought that letter for Mr. Taylor, and I was to take a receipt back for it; he said Mr. Taylor was not there, but my paying it to him would be quite right, the same as if I paid it to Mr. Taylor - he gave me a stamped receipt; I brought it home, and gave it to the lady who gave me the letter - she was in town then; it was Mrs. Thacker's mother; I never read it myself; I did not know what the sum was - I am sure I gave Mrs. Thacker's mother the same paper I received from the prisoner. Cross-examined. Q. He might have passed off as Mr. Taylor to you, if he had chosen? A. yes; I felt something like money in the letter and heard it jink - I knew it was money; I am sure he is the person to whom I gave it, and who gave me the receipt. JANE MANSON. I am Mrs. Thacker's mother. I myself brought the money down to my daughter to put into the letter; I do not know whether I saw her put it in -I was in the room when she wrote the letter; I brought it to London, delivered it to Webber, and told her to take it to the East India chambers, Leadenhall-street -I know it contained money; Webber took it out, returned, and gave me a paper, which Mr. Taylor has got(looking at it); this is the man's receipt for it - I am certain it is the paper Webber brought me (read). August 1, 1828. Received of Mrs. Thacker the sum of 13l. 7s. 10d. amount of bill delivered for H. Taylor. CHARLES CALLAN. MR. TAYLOR. The whole of this receipt is the prisoner's hand-writing; he never accounted to me for this sum - I never knew it had been in his possession till this was discovered. GORDON CLARK . I am a watchman of St. James' parish. I have a certificate of the prisoner's former conviction, which I got from Mr. Shelton's office - I know the prisoner; he is the person described therein (reads) - I was present when he pleaded guilty to the charge, and am sure he is the person. The prisoner put in a written Defence, stating that his salary was 1l. a week, but he at times received but 5s. which was an inducement to commit crime; that he had been in possession of the prosecutor's monies for a considerable time, but always accounted for them when called upon to do so; that he had not taken money with the intention of embezzlement, for a sum was due to him as salary, and that the prosecutor had offered to drop the prosecution for 35l. GUILTY . Aged 27. Transported for Fourteen years .

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 16th August 2023

Possible Death record. New South Wales, Australia. Convict Death Register Date of Death; 15 July 1834 Age; No age noted on Register. Convicts Arrived Register. No; 1663. Jas L Crossley alias Chas Callan Age; 19 years old