Peter Montgomerie

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 29th November 2024

Aged; 35 years old Married - 1 child Native Place; Ayrshire Trial; 7 Apr 1830

341

Maureen Withey on 11th November 2023

Scots Bankrupts. Peter Montgomerie, lately surgeon, druggist, and builder, of Ladeside, Kilbirnie, now residing in Glasgow—Creditors meet in the Royal Arms Inn and Hotel, Stuckwell Street, Glasgow, and 30th July, 12. Perthshire Courier, 12 July 1827. ------------------------------------------------------------ Peter Montgomerie, accused of uttering in the Bazaar or market place, Glasgow, as genuine, a forged or counterfeited note, of the Paisley  Banking Company, knowing the same to be forged, by delivering the same to Rachael Stewart or Kerr wife of Richard Kerr, cheese dealer. The pannel pled not guilty. Mrs Kerr recollects that a forged note was offered  to her on that day, a man whom she recognized the day following in the but will not swear, that the person at the bar is the same man. The note was ofiered to witness in payment for a cheese ; does not know whether it was a guinea or pound note.— She gave the note to James Campbell, who said it was bad one, and witness then returned  it to the person from whom she got it, when he said he would go and fetch another. William Thomson is keeper of the Bazaar; remembers the day on which Mrs Kerr told witness that she had got a forged note. She pointed out the person who gave it to her, when he went after him, and overtook him at the outside of the door. Witness took him into the weigh-house, where he gave it up, apparently much  alarmed. Witness inspected the note, and found it to be bad; and having got some police officers to take the man into custody, he followed him to the office, when the note was given to the constable. Witness was shown the note, which he identified, and also the person at the bar as being the man. William Campbell, police officer, assisted in taking the prisoner to the office. On his way thither, witness observed him having his hand in his left breeches pocket, and taking from it a paper, which he supposed he wished to destroy, when be seized his arm, and held it till he got to the office, when he took pound note of the Commercial  Bank from the prisoner, and gave it to the constable. The prisoner told witness he had got the note from a man the country; There was some silver also found upon him; he was quite sober. The declaration  emitted by Mr Montgomerie was then read, in which he admitted having tendered the note to Mrs Kerr, but denied ail knowledge of its being forged. ~ William Jaffray, junior, accountant in Glasgow , is trustee on Montgomerie’s estate, a sequestration which was awarded in July last. Knows that the pannel is the proprietor of the estate of Ladeside in Ayrshire,—and, from a valuation thereof, made up by witness in his official capacity, with the assistance the commissioners, it is estimated, including after duties, &c., to be around £1106. And after deducting. the preferable and  is an apparent reversion to Mr Montgomerie of 3037- From this, however, will fall to be deducted the expences of the sequestration,—and the amount of the reversion will, in some measure, depend on the result of several on the result of several law suits which are at present in dependence, and what the estate may sell at. by the Crown  one of these processes relates to a bill for £1100, accepted by Elisabeth “Gavin,” Beith. She has brought a reduction of this document on the ground of forgery; but Miss Gavin admitted to witness, that the signature  to said bill was her genuine subscription. The Depute-Advocate, in going over the evidence to the jury, said he had clearly prove to them the passing the forged  note. He admitted there was no evidence that the one taken from him the Police Office was forged  although there were certainly strong suspicions from his conduct, as sworn to in the evidence  on his way thither. The learned counsel also said, that there was a strong presumption of the prisoner’s guilt, from the circumstance of his declaration being much variance with the evidence regarded the manner in which he had got possessed of the notes. After some farther remarks  the learned gentleman thought no doubt could remain on the minds of the jury that the pannel had been guilty of uttering the note. Mr Cockburn then addressed the Jury on behalf of Mr Montgomerie. He said, that if, upon the evidence which bad been adduced, a verdict of Guilt (as gravely though not seriously asked by the public .prosecutor) were to be returned, he declared, upon bis soul, there was not an individual in Court who would state— this the country, which has lately been inundated with with forged notes, there is scarcely an individual who has not been made the Innocent instrument of vending them, and he would just ask the Jury if there was one amongst them who had not, at same period of his life time, uttered such notes unconsciously. There is certainly, therefore, nothing extraordinary in the circumstance of Mr Peter Montgomerie being possessed of two forged notes, although the fact is, stated by the public prosecutor, that there has only been adduced in evidence, one note which is proved to have been forged. He admitted that it not only forged, but was the identical note which tendered to the witness Mrs Ken, but he denied that there was the slightest shadow evidence that the prisoner that it was forged, It was the duty of the public prosecutor to prove allegation, that the gentleman at the bar uttered the knowing it be forged. He submitted, that, ??? having done so, there was great went establish the    reverse. it had been proved that .Mr Montgomerie proprietor landed estate, and It is that he would descend the low, despicable, and abominable crime uttering a forged note, knowing it to be forged. He was certainly, in difficulties, the best of men may be; but still has been proved that there will be reversion of about £1106 after payment of his debts. Cockburn denied the statement that men, when reduced by bankruptcy, generally resorted to the crime issuing forged notes. This would a dreadful state of things in this commercial country, and believed he did not require say much the Jury upon such a statement. Mr Cockburn. concluded one of the most able and eloquent speeches which we ever heard delivered,  by asking a verdict for Mr Montgomerie. Lord Alloway addressed the Jury at great length. He desired them to throw entirely out of view any impression which might have been created in favour of the prisoner from his rank in life.  The same principles must govern his case as the poorest criminal that was at this bar. From the candid statement  of Cockburn, the Jury were saved the trouble of going into any inquiry regarding the forgery the note in question. But the Jury would bear in mind, as laid clown by Cockburn, that the mere act of issuing a forged note was not of itself criminal offence. The essence of the crime consisted in the utterer’s guilty knowledge that the note was forged—this could seldom be proved by witnesses, but must be gathered from circumstances. He left the case in the hands of the Jury. The Jury retired for about half an hour, and returned a verdict of, plurality voices  finding the libel Not Proven. Their Lordships then acquitted Mr Montgomerie. Edinburgh Evening Courant, 21 April 1828. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Peter Montgomery, who was at, Glasgow Circuit Court, for issuing forged notes Paisley, the month of April, and was apprehended at Greenock, on Sunday se’ennight, on board the Fingal steam boat, on her arrival from Belfast, was, on Monday, after undergoing examination the Sheriff at Paisley, committed tor trial, cannot now take place before cannot now take place before the Spring Circuit. The capture of this fellow is a matter of no small  importance to the public, he having, for some time past been a most extensive wholesale dealer forged notes, as well a vender when he thought he could so, without the risk of detection. He has already stood twice at the bar of the Circuit Courts of Ayr and Glasgow, for the crime of forgery, and issuing forged notes, but for want of sufficient evidence, he escaped both times Edinburgh Evening Courant, 17 Dec 1829.

3

Elizabeth Templeton on 8th June 2016

Peter Married Jean Fairlie (Balfron, 17 Aug 1826) and they had a son, John Fairlie Montgomerie, born 4 Aug 1827. After Peter was sent to Aust, Jean remarried (23/3/1837 to John Smith Wilson) and had another son, Alexander Fairlie Wilson (b.18/3/1840). John married in Balfron and came to Australia in sept 1854.

3

Elizabeth Templeton on 24th January 2013

I think my husband might be descended from Peter Montgomerie. On the death certificate of John Fairlie Montgomerie (born in Glasgow 1828) he cites his father as Peter Fairlie Montgomerie, Surgeon. (Mother unknown) John came to Aust with his wife in Sept 1854, settled in Melbourne and had 4 sons. Could this be the son of Peter Montgomerie, I wonder!? For more details look at Ancestry.com.au - Philip Templeton - public tree.

10

John Hayward on 11th November 2012

Peter was born in Kilbirnie, Ayr Scotland 1789 C 11596-2 Scotland-VR Source film No 1041381 Tried in Glasgow given 14 years Died in Scone 1860 buried in St Lukes graveyard Scone. William was b 1792

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John Hayward on 9th November 2012

Patrick is actually Peter Montgomerie who wae a Doctor in Ayrshire before being tried in Glasgow for passing forged notes. Both he and brother William were deported from Scotland for 14 years. William to Van Diemans land and Peter to Sydney where he went to work in the Liverpool Hospital and in the Hunter Valley region of NSW before dying in Scone in 1866. Nation Records of Scotland JC26/1830/265 and AD14/30/180 .There were three forged notes involved totalling 5,000 pounds. John Hayward

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John Hayward on 6th November 2012

Patrick is Williams brother Peter. Peter and William Montgomerie were guilty of passing forged notes to the value of 5,000 pounds.William was tried in Ayr and Peter a Doctor was tried in Glasgow. Both got 14 years deportation. William to Van Diemans Land and Peter to Sydney where on arrival Dr Peter went to theLiverpool Hospital.Dr Peter died in Scone in 1866 and is buried in St Lukes Church graveyard in Scone NSW Australia. John Hayward. Desendant of their brother Robert Montgomerie

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John Hayward on 29th January 2012

John Montgomerie and Jean King married in Kilbirnie 30 Dec 1788. Their first three children were: Peter, William and Robert. Peter and William were deported for passing forged notes. I was lead to understand that both went to Van Diemans Land on the Bengal Merchant.BUT now I find that only William went to VDL while Patrick (Peter) was sent to Port Jackson. It appears that Patrick/Peter was a Doctor. Both were given 14 years. Patrick/Peter worked at the hospital in Liverpool. John Hayward. desendant of the Montgomeries