Usher, Thomas James | Day 4

Also gave evidence at the earlier Petition Inquiry.

Instrumental in the choice of Mr Crompton Roberts as the Conservative candidate. In has testimony cited the names of the leading Conservatives in the constituency.
He offered to take on dealing with all the requests for flags and colours in Deal and Walmer when Mr Hughes said it was too much for him to handle. The requests turned out to be many and Walmer was subsequently passed on to George Marley. Not explicitly stated who paid him but listed as Edwin Hughes.

Commented that every house in the town had a flag and if there were any more the houses would disappear.

Witness Type: Briber, Petition witness

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 3851.

    That makes altogether 80L. 12s. 9d. for Chapman. The next is Horne who is a voter 9s. 8d., and the next is Chandler who is a voter. I think there was one bill for Chandler before. This bill is 13L. 17s. 10d. ? — I do think there is one Chandler before.

  • 3852.

    That is for BOWS ? — Not all of it, I think.

  • 3853.

    He is a tailor ? — Yes, but it is not all for BOWS. That is for twill. I got Chandler to get me some. We could not get enough twill, and I did not like to get it from any of the drapers on the other side, so I got him to go round and get it for me, and he charged it in his account.

  • 3854.

    Have you any bill showing the quantity of rosettes or things supplied by Chapman— have you had any account ? — Yes, the bills were all there with the items, and the numbers were on them.

  • 3855.

    I see that this bill of Chapman’s for 47L. 6s. 9d., is in addition to 17L 9s., which is also to Chapman in your own account, the last item but one ? — Which was unpaid— it has been paid since.

  • 3856.

    It is in your account 64L. 15s. 9d. ? — I may explain why that account was so large. We could not get sufficient rosettes and cambric for the flags, so I got Mr. Chapman to get other people to make them and bring the bills in to me, and also to go round to the different shops in the town to get the materials we wanted. Our colours being purple and orange, were not so easy to get as blue.

  • 3857.

    I understand so many people applied to you for work that you had to turn them away ? — Yes, to make the rosettes.

  • 3858.

    There were 350 yards of cambric and about 60 dozen rosettes in this one account. Then we have got Huntley14L 8s. 9d., he is a voter. Brown 3s., he is a voter, lien there is Pritchard 10L. 17s. 10d. for rope and twine— he is a voter, and then there is Franklin, a voter, for rosettes again, 39L 10s. 5d., and Adams 1L. 16s. Huntley again, a voter ? — The same Huntley.

  • 3859.

    That makes 28L 17s, 3d, Then there is Durban 3L, a voter, and Blogg IL 7s., he is not a voter. That is the third of the people who were not voters ? — I do not think it was Durban who made that.

  • 3860.

    You think the Durban who made that was not a voter ? — No.

  • 3861.

    He was the husband ? — I think he had nothing to do with it.

  • 3862.

    I see you have taken out a summary of the quantities ? — Yes, as near as I could get them.

  • 3863.

    There is twill 1,118 yards and cambric 2,078 yards, making for those two materials 3,196 yards, and from that you say you made 600 flags — 1,600 yards, leaving 1,596 yards, and that was given away to women and children ? — To make flags themselves. We could not make them fast enough.

  • 3864.

    Then half the quantity purchased was given away ? — For people to make them up themselves. We could not make them fast enough.

  • 3865.

    Within four yards of half of it was given away to people to make the flags themselves ? — Yes, it was the purple and orange cambric — it was very common material, glazed lining in fact.

  • 3866.

    You managed to divide the rosettes one for each, voter ? — They wanted more — they wanted one for every child in the family, and this is a noted place for children. They were given principally to the women. They used to come with the children in their arms, “Mr. Usher give me a rosette, I have not had one,” and then they wanted so many for so many children they had at home.

  • 3867.

    (Mr. Jeune.) What is the population of Deal and Walmer ? — I think 13,000.

  • 3868.

    That is including Sandwich is it not ? — No.

  • 3869.

    I think so ? — I will not be sure. The population of Deal Proper is 8,000 and something.

  • 3870.

    The flags mentioned in this account were independent of 240 flags which were made by Chapman ? — Yes.

  • 3871.

    So that altogether, besides the 1,600 yards which you gave away to people to make their own flags, you made 840 flags ? — Yes, there was a flag out of nearly every house in the town, in fact if the election had lasted another week we should not have seen the houses at all for flags.

  • 3872.

    I understand you received three sums of 100L each prior to the election, and 70L. afterwards ? — And 80L.

  • 3873.

    That was to pay Lloyns and Chapman ? — Yes; 28L

  • 3874.

    Beyond that, have you received any sums at all ? — No.

  • 3875.

    You paid Marley’s account, did you not ? — Yes, that is included in that. I gave him a cheque out of the 400L. I gave Marley a cheque for 52L., I think, to pay him.

  • 3876.

    That was paid out of that amount ? — Yes.

  • 3877.

    You received altogether 400L. exactly ? —Yes.

  • 3878.

    Is that all the money you received in connexion with the election ? — Yes.

  • 3879.

    Directly or indirectly ? — Directly or indirectly.

  • 3880.

    From anyone ? — From anyone. I have received a cheque since, but it has nothing to do with the election it is simply on account of this year’s registration.