Curling, Thomas | Day 10

Received £5 plus all the materials for making 15 flags which his wife and daughter sewed and which he roped. Claimed it wasn’t payment for his vote

Witness Type: Other

Party: Liberal

Witness Testimony:

  • 12036.

    (Mr. Turner.) What are you ? — A pensioner.

  • 12037.

    Where do you live ? — 56, West Street.

  • 12038.

    What did you receive ? — I received 5L. for work done by my daughter and wife at home in making FLAGS for Mr. Ramell.

  • 12039.

    What else did you receive ? — Nothing else.

  • 12040.

    From whom did you receive it ? — Mr. Ramell.

  • 12041.

    Did you receive nothing for your vote ? — No, nothing for my vote.

  • 12042.

    Did you receive nothing else ? — No, nothing else.

  • 12043.

    (Mr. Jeune.) Did Mr. Ramell order the FLAGS ? — Yes, and he paid the money.

  • 12044.

    How many flags did you supply ? — I suppose one day we made 15 for the big flag staff, and we were making flags from the commencement of Sir Julian Goldsmid’s coming to the day of election.

  • 12045.

    That was seven or eight days ? — Yes.

  • 12046.

    You did not do anything with these FLAGS ? — Yes, I roped them all.

  • 12047.

    How many days were you at that ? — Every time a flag was done I had to do it.

  • 12048.

    How many FLAGS did they make altogether ? — I cannot say exactly, but I know one day there were 15 flags, besides putting the names on.

  • 12049.

    What was your daughter doing ? — My daughter was making and hemming them.

  • 12050.

    Was anybody else engaged upon that business besides you and your daughter ? — My wife. There were three of us.

  • 12051.

    A week’s work ? — Yes.

  • 12052.

    The materials were given to you ? — Yes, everything we received from Mr. Ramell, cotton even.

  • 12053.

    You got 5L. for a week’s work ? — There were three of us.

  • 12054.

    Pretty good pay was it not ? — My daughter lost more than that ; she had to refuse other work because she could not take it in.

  • 12055.

    What do you and your wife and daughter together make a year ? — It all depends.

  • 12056.

    Do you make 30s. a week ? — No, and not half of it, and sometimes not 5s.

  • 12057.

    5L. was pretty good pay, was it not ? — Certainly it was not bad pay.

  • 12058.

    Did you vote ? —I did. I voted for Sir Julian Goldsmid, but I charged nothing for it.

  • 12059.

    5L. had something to do with your voting ? — No, not at all. I should have voted if I had not got a farthing.

  • 12060.

    Do you think you would have got the 5L. if you had not had a vote ? — I might have got it. I cannot say.

  • 12061.

    And might not ? — And might not ; that is true enough.