Mayne, George Down

MANSION-HOUSE – George D. Mayne was brought before Alderman WIRE, in custody of Daniel Forrester, charged with having unlawfully attempted to obtain from the Monarch Fire and Life Assurance Company the sum of 110l., with a view to defraud and cheat the said company.

Mr Henry Eaton said, — I am a clerk in the Monarch Fire and Life Assurance Society. The following letter, addressed to to the manager by the prisoner, was received at our office in the usual course of business :–

Ottery St. Mary, May 5
“Dear Sir, — On my return home this morning I found the enclosed (which came yesterday) awaiting me. I am very sorry to have to send it, and heartily wish that the insurance on all the thatched buildings in my agency were discontinued, particularly now that it is likely I shall have some of another and difficult class to insure. I will take Mr. Channon, an old builder and surveyor of some standing, and whose property is insured in the Monarch, with me to Thoverton, and you may rely on my doing what I can for the office, and will take care to instruct him to value fairly, so there shall be no more paid that what really ought to be paid. I will write again after the inspection, with the report, &c. I xxxx my life proposal for £150. I do not know whether in my last x xxxxx you to send me a copy of my wife’s life proposal : if not be kind enough to oblige me with a copy of it. I have sent the xxxxxxxx papers in my own case to Dr. Garland and me private referee
“Yours truly GEO. D. MAYNE”
[Ixxxxxxxxx]

Thorverton, May 3
“Sir, — By my aunt, Miss Vinnicombe’s desire I write to inform you that by a fire which happened in Thoverton on Friday last three of her cottages insured in your office have been much damaged by fire, and she wishes you to come over as soon as you can
“Yours &c, “M. A. RADMORE”

The prisoner, through whose means the policy had been effected, was our agent at Ottery St. Mary, and Miss Vinnicombe was the party whose cottages were insured. The following letter was next received by our manager :–

Ms Vinnicombe
Ottery St Mary, May 8.
“Dear Sir, — I enclose claim and estimate. The latter in my opinion is very fair, and the office has had justice done to it. Two of the three cottages are entirely burnt, one other very much burnt; the other two have their roofs injured (the thatch, &c. having been stripped off) and have sustained other damages. Mr Channon estimates the cost of the reinstalling at £11x10x Miss Vinnicommbe claimed £130. I offered £105, and indicated to Miss V. that her claim amounted to much more than the sum as which our surveyor estimated the damge, and that I was quite sure the office whould not give more than what was recommended. This morning Mrs Radmore came to me and indicated that her aunt, who is very infirm, old and unfit for much xxxxxx wanted no more than is fair , and although she had been told that it would xxxx £130 to out the building in the same state as they were before the fire, yet she was quite ready to abide by the valuation of our surveyor, and not give any more trouble to the office than was necessary. I told her I had no doubt the office would be mainly guided by their surveyor’s valuation, and that I would acquaint you hereof. Subsequently I offered, subject to your approval, £110, and to pay the fire engine expenses &c. amounting to some £5 or xx. From what I can gather I think she would accept £110 and we paay the expenses, but she has promised to write me to morrow with the aunt’s determination. After I have heard I will again write. If however she will take £110 and half the expenses, I think xx would be better to close, although by holding out, I think we may perhaps get her to accept £110 and pay the expenses. Still, we shall better see how to act after I hear from her. I told Miss Radmore that I would write her directly I heard from you, and that if the claim were satisfactory very little trouble would be given xx to the xxxxxxx. The fire took place in the xxxxxx and originated in a house adjoining to one of those insurred in this office and burnt, and from the same cause from which so many originate – viz the chimney. I inclose my wire’s life proposal. Perhaps you will get mine and her policy ready as soon as possible as our birthdays are rapidly approaching
“I am, dear Sir, yours truly,
“To G.H. Jay Esq.” “GEO. D. MAYNE.

(The inclosure purports to be an estimate by a builder of the damage done to the buildings amounting to 112l. 10s.) Our office next received the inclosed from the prisoner purporrting to be addressed to him :–

Thoverton, May 6
“ Sir, — I beg to inform you that I claim of the directors of the Monarch

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Name: George Down Mayne
Age: 24
Trade &c: Clerk
By whom committed: Ald. Wilson
When committed: June 7
Offence charged with: Unlawfully, &c., attempting to obtain from the Monarch Fire and Life Assurance Company the sum of £110, with intent to cheat them thereof.
No: 18
When tried: June 17
Before whom: Co: Sey[?]
Verdict: Pld Guilty
Sentence: 1 Year Ho: Co:

HONITON. In the Central Criminal Court, on Wednesday, George Downe Mayne was indicted for unlawfully attempting to obtain from the Monarch Assurance Company the sum of £100, with intent to cheat and defraud. The prisoner, who had been arranged on Tuesday and pleaded Guilty, was brought up for judgement. The Common Sergeant, in passing sentence, told the prisoner that the offence he had pleaded guilty to was one of very serious character, it being a most gross abuse of the confidence reposed in him. Happily his plans had been frustrated, but not by any act on his part, for he had done all in his power to succeed the commission of the offence, and, therefore, his conduct was as bad as he had obtained the money. The character the prisoner bore was but an aggravation, for it was in consequence of that character that the trust he had enjoyed had been placed in him, and it would be most likely that no suspicion would be entertained that he intended any wrong. The prisoner was then sentenced to a year’s imprisonment.

In re Susanna Bedlake Prowse, late of Fore-street Hill, Exeter, spinster, a draper’s apprentice ; previously of Torquay, spinster; and formerly of No. 14, Buckland Street, Plymouth, lodging-house-keeper, (with her mother, Susanna Prowse).— The insolvent applied for her discharge from the Devon County Prison, where she had been detained since the 1st of January, at the suit of George Down Mayne, for £60 1s. and costs and interest. In her balance-sheet insolvent said she was entitled, after the death of her mother, under the will of her (insolvent’s) grandfather, Edward Bedlake, to one-eighth part of certain property, valued at £400 ; she never carried on or followed any business or profession, but had lived with her mother, assisting in her business of a lodging-house-keeper, for which she received her maintenance and other necessaries ; between 1852 and 1857 she incurred liabilities for debts owing by her mother, and executed charges to the extent of £1,222 8s. 11d. on her (insolvent’s) reversionary interest in her grandfather’s property; in 1858 insolvent’s friends paid £1210s. as premium for her to learn the business a draper and milliner, and to receive her board and lodgings for three years; she had been supplied her friends with the means of purchasing articles of dress, Insolvent set down as the aggregate amount of her debts £1,222 8s. 11d., but added that she had received no consideration for any of these; assets (doubtful debts) £1,228 8s. 11d. ‘She accounted for her insolvency as follows : My having become security for my mother for debts owing by her, and having assigned the whole of my reversionary property to the creditors without receiving any security or consideration for the same.” —Mr. Toby supported the insolvent, a young person of genteel appearance, who was opposed by Mr. Laidman, for the detaining creditor, who it appeared was the secretary to a loan society. The grounds of opposition were that insolvent had contracted the detaining creditor’s debt without having probable means of paying it, and that she had concealed her property ; but it appeared that she had never contracted any debt nor had any property. She obtained the loan through Mr. Mayne for her mother, and gave bill of sale of her mother’s property to Mr. Hatch, who knew how matters stood with her, to prevent her father, who had been living apart from her mother, from sweeping off the furniture belonging to the latter.—His Honour declared insolvent entitled to the benefit of the act, and ordered her to be discharged from custody forthwith. —She left the court with her friends.

April 3. at his residence, No. 8, Wellington Terrace Bedminster, Bristol after a long and painful illness, which he bore patiently and with Christian resignation, George Down Mayne eldest son of Mr. Mayne, of Ottery St. Mary and High Street, Exeter, in the 39th year of his age. He was an affectionate husband and a kind father, and has left a widow and eight children to mourn their irreparable loss. For many years past he acted as private and confidential clerk to Messrs. Wansey, solicitors, Bristol, whom he was much valued and esteemed.