John Lockwood

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 8th January 2024

Trial/2 Cross-examined. Q. Has he been in and out of your shop? A. Yes, a great many times—he never purchased meat of me on his own account, but for his employer—he came two or three times a day or more—nothing drew my attention to the conversation till I knew the note was bad—I am positive I asked him to write his name and his address on the note, not ‘the’ address—he did not take out his pocket-book before he wrote the name of Gordon—he wrote the name on the note first, and then took out his pocket-book—he remained about five minutes after he got the money—he seemed a little confused—I mentioned the invitation before the Lord Mayor—the prisoner did not tell me that he had an invitation from Gordon to go anywhere: he said that it was his farm at Croydon, and he was engaged the greater part of the day, and would like me to give him a little note just beforehand—he appeared quite sober. MR. SLEIGH. Q. Did he say ‘my farm’? A. Yes, and he told me how many horses he had. WILLIAM GRAVES. I live at Trowbridge, in Wiltshire—I was a waiter at Mr. Tregold's boarding-house, Queen Street, Cheapside—about a month before March 27th I met the prisoner in the street—he asked me if I did not live at the boarding-house—I said, ‘Yes’—he gave me this card and asked me to call on him—on the evening of March 27th I heard the doorbell ring; there was nobody there, but I saw the prisoner coming across the road with his wife—he wished me good evening and asked how I was getting on, and if I could change a £20 note, or get it changed—I said, ‘I am too busy to go out to see about it,’ and he knew the places better than me—he said that his furniture had gone down to Croydon, and if I got it changed he would give me two or three shillings—I said I was too busy to go—I mentioned Mr. Curtis, the butcher, to him, and the public-houses. Cross-examined. Q. I believe you did not know where he lived? A. No, but he gave me his card, with Lockwood on it—he had only seen me once—he did not show me the £20 note—he gave me his card, that I might call and see him. CATHERINE STOCKWELL. I was barmaid in March at the Swan, Dover Street, kept by Mr. Bryant—on 27th March, about nine in the evening, the prisoner came in for half a gallon of gin—he gave me this £10 country note (produced)—I took it to my master and got change, which I gave to the prisoner—he had something to drink at the bar—I am sure it was a £10 note, and not a £20—he left the gin the first time, as the governor was not in. Cross-examined. Q. Did you know him as keeping a beer shop in the neighbourhood? A. Yes before Christmas; they told me he kept a beershop in Kent Street; that is all I know—that is about two minutes' walk off. JOSEPH HALE BRYANT. I keep the Swan, in Dover Street—on 27th March, my barmaid brought me this £10 note; I gave her change for it, and some days afterwards a policeman named Dawson came—on the 30th March Dawson and I saw the prisoner—we had some conversation with him about a £5 Bank of England note, nothing to do with this matter, in the course of which I told him that I had presented the note at the Bank, and found that there was no such bank in existence; it had failed some years since—that was the second conversation—at the first conversation, when I found the £5 note was stolen, I said that I hoped the £10 note would be right—he said, ‘Oh! yes, for what I know’—it was after that 30th March that I presented it at Dimsdale's, and found it was false—I saw the prisoner in the evening, and told him I had presented the note, and they told me that the bank had failed some years since—he asked me to give him a little time and he would pay me—he said he had taken it of a Mr. Gordon or Waters, I am not positive which—he showed me this note in his pocket-book, of the person he had taken it from: ‘John Gordon, Park Farm.’ Contd/3...

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 8th January 2024

TRIAL TRANSCRIPT: “563. JOHN LOCKWOOD (32), Feloniously forging and uttering a promissory note for the payment of £20, with intent to defraud. MESSRS. SLEIGH and POLAND conducted the Prosecution, and MR. DALY the Defence. JOHN THOMAS MORAN. I am an usher at the Southwark Police-court—I was present when William Priestley was charged with uttering a £20 note and a £10 note, knowing them to be forged—I produce the original depositions taken—the first examination was 14th May, and the next on the 21st; the prisoner was brought up by habeas, and examined as a witness against Priestley—some professional gentleman appeared for the prosecution—the next examination was on 4th June, and the next on 8th June—several witnesses were examined on those occasions, and Priestley was discharged out of custody—the original deposition is signed by the prisoner; he was examined, and his wife also, and Sarah Gillham, William Hancock, and the banker's clerk—the prisoner's deposition was read over in the usual way, and he signed it. (The deposition was put in and read.) The prisoner's pocket-book was referred to—this is it (produced), and these are the notes. Cross-examined. Q. Before what Magistrate was the case of Gordon heard? A. Twice before Mr. Woolrych—the great bulk of the evidence was taken before Mr. Woolrych—he remanded the prisoner—I did not understand him that he would commit him—I cannot say whether he said, ‘I believe Lockwood gave Gordon that note, and I shall commit him, but there will be another remand’—Mr. Woolrych went away for a holiday, and the other Magistrate was Mr. Burcham—the prisoner was then discharged—to the best of my recollection, five witnesses were called. MR. POLAND. Q. How much of the case did Mr. Woolrych hear? A. There were two examinations before him, but the witnesses were re-sworn and the deposition read over before Mr. Burcham, and fresh witnesses called—Lockwood and his wife and sister were examined on the two first occasions, and after Mr. Burcham came, the sister, and Hancock, and Mrs. Lockwood were examined. JOSEPH TYRRELL CURTIS. I am a butcher, of 11, Great Trinity Lane, City—I knew the prisoner about two years ago; he then lived with a customer of mine at a boarding-house in Queen Street, Cheapside, Mrs. Tregold's, as porter, but I did not know his name—when he left there he owed me 2s. or 3s. for something he had on the day he left or the day before—I last saw him two years ago—on Wednesday, 27th March, between six and eight p.m., he came to my shop with some woman, and said that he wished to get out of my debt—he purchased a joint of meat, which came to about 8s., and asked me to give him change for this £20 note (produced)—I did so, and asked his address—he said, Park Farm, East Croydon—I asked him to write his name on the note—he wrote, ‘John Gordon’, and I wrote the address he gave me in my book, which is not here, but I can fetch it—I gave him about £19/12s.—there were three bank notes—he said that he always liked to take the numbers of notes—he took out a pocket-book, and I believe he put the numbers down—when I found he had done so I asked him to give me the notes back again, and I entered their numbers—he said that he should be very pleased to see me at his farm if I would come down for a day or so, I was only to let him know beforehand—he left with the woman, taking the joint and the change—I kept the note till 30th March, and then paid it into the London and South-Western Bank, and it was returned to me on Tuesday, 2nd April—I next saw the prisoner in custody on 6th April, at Bow Lane Station—he said, ‘This is a bad job about this note, Mr. Curtis’—I did not know his name until he wrote it on the note. Contd/2...

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 8th January 2024

TRIAL: 1867, 10 June: John Lockwood was sentenced to 15 years’ penal servitude at the Old Bailey for “forgery of a promisory note” and previous conviction felony. --0--