Pain, George Mockett | Day 14
Away at sea by the Isle of Wight and received a letter asking him to come home with his crew. The crew took two days sailing to Seaford due to the wind conditions, where they stayed the night and some then came home by train. £26 was distributed between 8 – £3 5s each – and £6 on provisions and train fares.
Witness Type: Bribee
Party: Liberal
Witness Testimony:
- 17170.
(Mr. Jeune.) Where do you live ? — 4 Alexandra Cottages.
- 17171.
What is your occupation ? — Master of the lugger, ”Albert Victor.”
- 17172.
You got a letter, did you not, asking you to come back and vote ? — It was directed to me.
- 17173.
Who from ? — George Ralph of the “Forester’s Inn”.
- 17174.
The last witness has told us Ralph said, “If you come back you will be compensated” ? — Yes, and pay our expenses.
- 17175.
Did he tell you which way you were to come back and vote ? — Either come by lugger or by rail, as we could not come home by the lugger we had to come home by rail.
- 17176.
Did he ask you to vote for anybody in particular ? — No, he knew what our principles were.
- 17177.
You knew which side Mr. Ralph was ? — Yes, and he knew our principles.
- 17178.
You knew what Mr. Ralph’s views were and he knew what your views were ? — Yes. I knew he was a blue and so was I.
- 17179.
Was the letter a printed letter ? — No, a written letter.
- 17180.
Written all through in handwriting ? — Yes.
- 17181.
And not printed or lithographed ? — No, a written letter in an envelope.
- 17182.
And it was sent by Mr. Ralph ? — Yes.
- 17183.
Did you receive the 32L. ? — Yes, for me, the lugger, and the crew.
- 17184.
And you got that from Mr. Ralph ? — Yes.
- 17185.
How was the sum of 32L fixed ? — 6L. it cost us for expenses. We put in at the Isle of Wight to provision our lugger and that is where I received the letter. That cost us over 5L. and it was all thrown away when we had to come home. It was like throwing it away for it was bought for us to seek for employment.
- 17186.
I suppose the provisions did just as well afterwards ? — No ; bread will not keep.
- 17187.
Were they fresh provisions ? — Yes ; we do not eat salt when we are away, we get the best we can.
- 17188.
There was 6L. for that ? — Yes.
- 17189.
How was the rest of the money fixed upon ? — We made eight shares of what was left — 26L.
- 17190.
Why was it 26L. ; how came that sum to be fixed on ? — Why, because we arranged so. We thought that was no more than compensation. I asked him for 40L., which it did us out of 40L. I reckon, and he would only give us 32L. ; that was for all of us.
- 17191.
You got as much for them as you could ? — Yes.
- 17192.
And the outside he would give you was 32L. ? — Yes, making eight shares of what we received, coming to 3L. 5s. each, six shares for the men in the boat, and two shares for the lugger.
- 17193.
What were your actual expenses besides the 6L. ; you came by train, did you not ? — Yes ; that is included in the expenses. It cost us nearly 2L. We was two days going up from the Isle of Wight to Seaford ; then we went ashore and stayed there the night, and came away by the first train in the morning, and got home here in the evening, and that cost me and Philpott nearly 2L., with eating and travelling.
- 17194.
hat day did you get the letter ? — I cannot fix the day, but I should think it was four or five days before the election came off.
- 17195.
What day did you get here ? — On the Monday evening.
- 17196.
Then you started by rail on Monday morning from Seaford ? — Yes, the first thing.
- 17197.
You left your lugger, I suppose, on Sunday night ? — Yes, left her riding at great risk in Seaford Road ; it was blowing a gale of wind, and there was only two men left in her.
- 17198.
Did you leave Ryde on Sunday morning ? — We never left Ryde ; we started from Shanklin, in the Isle of Wight.
- 17199.
You were two days getting to Seaford ? — Yes.