Thursday 3 May 2012

3rd May 1812: Nottingham County Clerk, George Sculthorpe, requests payment of a reward for informers

Nottingham 3d. May 1812.

Sirs

I am directed by the County Magistrates to write to you on behalf of John Braithwait and Elizabeth his wife, who gave information against William Carnell and Joseph Maples Convicted at the last Assizes for this County of Framebreaking. And to request that you will favor me with such documents or information as you may deem requisite to enable these poor persons to receive the reward offered by the Prince Regents Proclamation of the 18th of December last.

Braithwait and his wife have been threatened with Assassination and the Magistrates find that it will be necessary to remove them to a distant part of the Kingdom for Security, and for this purpose must have recourse to their own Subscription Fund, independent of the reward; they therefore hope that you will favor me with an early reply on the subject.

I have the honour [etc]
Geo. Sculthorpe
Clerk to the Justices

[To] The Rt Honble R. Ryder.

The Solicitor to the Treasury, Henry Hobhouse, replied to Sculthorpe on 8th May, agreeing to pay the reward of £50 each to Braithwaite & his wife. This is the equivalent of  £33,500 each using average earnings in today's money.

This letter can be found at HO 42/123. Hobhouse's reply can be found in the same division.

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