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| Identity fraud. http://www.nelsonandhisworld.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1406 |
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| Author: | Trimmer [ Thu May 17, 2012 4:08 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Identity fraud. |
I recently browsed the internet looking for information on a purser by the name William Hillier. I was interested to learn that in October 1802, he gave evidence at a fraud trial at the old bailey. The prisoner was named James White; White had allegedly assumed the identity of a seaman, James Bannon, who had served aboard Pompee with Hillier. He had then attempted to claim wages /prize money due to Bannon. http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?ref=t18021027-62 White aged 27, was found guilty and sentenced to death. I was curious and decided to investigate how often deceptions of this sort were brought to court. I restricted the search to cover the years between 1793 -1815. I found another seven such cases: December 1798, Henry Grote, aged 24, guilty, sentence death. February 1799, William Harper, aged27, guilty, sentence death. February 1803, Michael Ely, guilty, sentence death. April 1803, William Boulton, aged 26, guilty, sentence death. October 1806, James Vaughan, aged 47, guilty, sentence death. February 1807, John Monk, not guilty. July 1813, Peter Hussey, aged 22, guilty, sentence death. I’m assuming it’s highly likely that some similar frauds may have been successful. Failure spelt almost certain death, does this then suggest that this was an often successful deception? In turn, I wonder what this then meant for the seaman whose identity had been assumed. Would he be paid any wages/prize money, which had erroneously been paid to fraudsters? |
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