Richard Raake

221

D Wong on 24th June 2014

Old Bailey: GOTTHARD RAAKE, Deception > forgery, 9th July 1838. GOTTHARD RAAKE was indicted for feloniously forging, on the 23rd of May, at St. Marylebone, an order for the payment of £60, with street to defraud Lionel Nathan Rothschild, and others.—2nd COUNT, for uttering the same.—3rd and 4th COUNTS, like the 1st and 2nd, only calling it a warrant, instead of an order. In his defence the prisoner stated that he had been implicated in the Polish revolution—on this account his friend told him to take the name of Dr. Stern, a friend of his, he had also used the alias A. Barteel. Raake was a teacher and notably a Polish military officer, he also claimed to be a professor of languages and music. and was transported for forgery and attempting to defraud Nathaniel Rothschild. 18/11/1840: Tried at Campbelltown, Sydney for Highway Robbery, he was an absconder at the time, for about 14 days – Life. 1840: Sent to Norfolk Island. 12/10/1845: Arrived VDL per ‘Lady Franklin’ 29/4/1851: TOL 14/10/1852: Married Maria Lambert (born in Avoca in 1832 and died Avoca 11/6/1932. They had 6 daughters. 5/6/1855: CP 9/10/1855 Launceston Examiner: Gotthard Raake was convicted of uttering a forged cheque for £65, purporting to be drawn by Mr. Storey of Avoca, and with intent to defraud Mr. J. C. Upton. His Honor, on referring to the prisoner's character, found that he had been originally transported for a daring forgery of £10,000 on the house of Rothschilds, for which he was sent to Norfolk Island; he had also committed two robberies and a forgery, and he had only received his conditional pardon a few weeks before the commission of the present offence. His Honor said that to let such a man loose on society would be to let loose a moral tiger, who would prey on all who could be imposed on. The prisoner here handed in a note, which he had received from his wife since he had been in gaol. It referred to the prisoner's family. His Honor continued, and said that he could make no difference in favour of the prisoner. It was said that a man who had children gave "hostages to the state" for his good conduct. His Honor then sentenced the prisoner to penal servitude for life. Mr. Justice Horne commented strongly on the in-crease of offences of this kind, which he said ought to be put down with a strong hand. ! 10/7/1875 Launceston Examiner: The Executive Council have released from H.M. Gaol at Launceston Gotthard Raake, a respectable man who at the Recorder's Court in March received sentence of eighteen months imprisonment for stealing a purse and moneys of Joseph Cocker, of Avoca. ` The principal witness against Mr Raake was Sub-Inspector Willis, of the Fingal Municipal Police, whose veracity has since been strongly impeached by the Fingal Council, and who was dismissed from the force in consequence. Francis Gotthard Richard RAAKE . Died in 23/9/1883 aged 76yrs 7mths. Source: Avoca St Thomas Anglican Cemetery.