Thomas Wright

116

Tony Beale on 7th July 2021

New South Wales, Australia, Convict Registers of Conditional and Absolute Pardons, 1788-1870 for Thomas Wright Absolute 1816 from Yorkshire was a merchany banker tried at York 6/7/1799 5' 5 3/4" fair complexion, brown hair and hazel eyes. was also near sighted Commercial Journal and Advertiser (Sydney, NSW : 1835 - 1840) Wed 21 Aug 1839 Page 3 POLICE OFFICE. Thursday, August 15.— Present C. Forbes, Esq, P. M., and Major Lockyer, J. P. Thomas Wright, generally known as " Tommy the Banker," an old offender of nearly one hundred years of age, who had been remanded from Monday last, was brought up for examination, for issuing base notes of a Bank termed the " Austilin Bank." He was taken up under the order of Mr. Justice Willis, during the trial of Jarvis Salt. Upon searching the house where he lodged, that indefatigable officer the acting chief constable, Alexander Brown, found bills to upwards of £9000 — of ones, twos, fives, "tens, and twenties; with ten plates for striking off the same. Remanded. Commercial Journal and Advertiser (Sydney, NSW : 1835 - 1840) Sat 9 Nov 1839 Page 3 SUPREME COURT. Thomas Wright, better known as Tommy the Banker, a man all but blind, and nearly a hundred years of age, stood indicted for having a quantity of forged notes in bis custody, feloniously, and without any lawful cause. A second count charged the. prisoner with having certain pieces. of paper purporting to be bank notes, well knowing them to be forged and counterfeit. The particulars of this old sinner's banking concerns have already been made public through our columns, it is there fore unnecessary to give more than the result of the trial, which was, that lie was found guilty, and sentenced to he transported for fourteen years. The Judge might as well have given him life, as it is impossible he will live out his sentence. We trust the old man will not be sent out of the Colony, and thus add to the already heavy expenses of removing prisoners from one settlement to another.) The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848) Sat 9 Nov 1839 Page 2 SUPREME COURT—(CRIMINAL SIDE.) Thomas Salsby Wright, alias Tommy the Banker, late of Parramatta, was indicted under a recent statute of 1st Wm. IV for feloniously having in his possession, without lawful excuse, certain forged notes purporting to be of the Austilin Bank, knowing them to be counterfeit. The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and had also put in a plea in a statement that his name was Thomas Salsby Wright, and not Thomas Wright, as he was indicted, and His Honor ordered the indictment to be altered accordingly. The Attorney General stated the case to the Jury, as follows: - During the last criminal sessions a co-partner of the prisoner's, named Salt, was convicted of uttering one of these Austilin Bank notes, and from what transpired on the trial, the learned Judge who tried the case (Mr Justice Willis) suggested the propriety of having a search warrant issued to search the prisoner's premises. A search warrant was issued accordingly, and the constable who executed it, found two of these notes on the prisoner's person, and on proceeding to his house, found in separate bundles tied up (together with the plates), one hundred and ninety-one £10 notes, one hundred and seventy-seven £5 notes, one hundred and eighty five £5 notes, sixty-five £5 notes, three hundred and seventy-six £2 notes, one hundred and twenty five one pound notes, eighty-seven £1 notes, and one hundred and ninety-five £20 notes, amounting in all to £8,000. Plates were also found for a Parramatta Banking Company, a Parramatta Trading Bank, and another company, termed a Defiance Company, which he presumed had been jocularly so called, because it was intended, to set the law at defiance by fraudulent dealing ; however, no notes of these latter plates had been discovered. The jury would see the immense importance of the result of this trial to the community of New South Wales, where there was so much paper currency, and the population was so widely dispersed. These notes were so well executed, that anyone would be likely to be deceived by their close resemblance to the notes of the Bank of Australia. In similar cases the law did not require a strict resemblance between the counterfeit and the note it purported to represent, a substantial resemblance being held sufficient. Some of the notes the prisoner had signed Thomas Wright, and others Thomas Salsby, and now he puts in a plea in a statement to raise a point of law stating his real name to be Thomas Salsby Wright. Alexander Brown, the constable who executed the search warrant, proved the finding of the notes and plates. They were engraved by a person named Wilson, residing in Sydney. He found them in the prisoner's box — had often heard him offer the notes for sale. His Honor asked the witness if he knew who that Wilson the engraver was? The Attorney General said there was an engraver of that name in York-street. The witness said he believed that that was the person who it was supposed to be. His Honor made some remarks which we did not distinctly hear. Mr Edward Smith publican of Parramatta, and Mr Hugh Taylor, general agent, were examined in proof of the circulation of the notes, and the prisoner's identity with the Bank of Austilin ; and Mr Eden Manning, one of the directors of the Bank of Australia, as to his knowledge of the existence of such a Bank, and the liability of persons to deception by mistaking the Austilin notes for the Australian Bank notes;— that gentleman's opinion was that they could deceive none but very, ignorant per sons. The prisoner, who is an aged man, supposed to be one hundred and two years of age, said that he hid been sixty- two years a banker ; he had undertaken to establish a Bank for a company at Parramatta, but that he go connected with a parcel of swindlers, who robbed him. He was able Io take up all his own notes signed by himself, but he could not take up those he was robbed of— -and in fine, that he had as good a right to establish a Bank as any other gentleman, and would undertake to conduct the management of one for any, company of gentlemen who might choose to employ him, upon the best and most improved principles of Banking !!! (Laughter) His Honor directed the jury that the only question for their consideration was whether the prisoner had counterfeited these notes for the purpose of deceiving -and defrauding man kind, or whether be merely had them done for the purpose of issuing and taking them up himself. The jury found the prisoner guilty, without leaving: the box. His Honor enquired the circumstances under which the prisoner had arrived in the colony. The Attorney-General answered, "for the same offence for which he has now been tried" His, Honor said it was lamentable to see an aged infirm old man on the very verge of the grave,- persisting in the same career of crime which, it was apparent, he had commenced in his youth, instead of amending his life, and preparing for the world to which he must soon be called. It was a striking illustration of the old saying of ''the ruling passion strong in death." All that remained for him, was to pass on him the sentence prescribed by law, which was four teen years transportation to a penal settlement. New South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930 for Thos Salsby Wright 7/11/1839 Sentenced to be transported for 14 years to a penal settlement for forgery. Firstly to the Phoenix Hulk New South Wales, Australia, Convict Death Register, 1826-1879 Died 7/2/1843 aged 104 on Norfolk Island Hospital. per ship canada