Foord, John Ross | Day 18

Eldest brother of Thomas Hellyer Foord of Rochester. Detailed family history can be found on Medway Memories. Paid expenses for Julian Goldsmid through his family firm John Foord & Sons. He had known Julian Goldsmid for 10 years during which time Sir Julian had been the MP for Rochester. Testified that many of the expenses paid out on Sir Julian’s behalf related to the Rochester Election.

Witness Type: Other

Party: Liberal

Witness Testimony:

  • 19193.

    Would there have been any difficulty in drawing a cheque for £1200 upon the London Joint Stock bank, and presenting it to the London and County bank at Rochester ? — No difficulty.

  • 19194.

    And that would have saved your brother a journey to London ? — Yes, it would, no doubt, but we did not think that was the best way to do it.

  • 19195.

    I forget the time of day you said you saw Mr Belsey; 12 or 1 o’clock, I think ? — I am not quite certain. The gas directors meet at 11 o’clock, and generally get through the business at 1 o’clock. I was sent for before the meeting broke up, though we had nearly got through our business, and therefore, though I cannot be positive, I think it must have been something like 12 or 1 o’clock. At all events, I will say this, that it was between 11 and 1 o’clock.

  • 19196.

    I suppose the bank at Rochester closes at 4 o’clock, like other banks ? — Yes.

  • 19197.

    What time did your brother go the next morning to Sandwich ? — I know he started pretty early for this reason, that it is rather a difficult route; he had to go by the London, Chatham, and Dover as far as Canterbury, and then take a train from Canterbury to go to Sandwich. Consequently he had to start pretty early.

  • 19198.

    At what time does the bank open at Rochester in the morning ? — Nine o’clock; he could not have got it in the morning.

  • 19199.

    We shall see that for ourselves. You say £700 or £800 you paid for the election at Rochester in 1880. When did Sir Julian Goldsmid pay you that ? — Upon the 8th July he paid me £700.

  • 19200.

    That was against the £800 ? — I do not know that it was against that; it was money that I had paid for him.

  • 19201.

    Did he owe you more than that at that time with the exception of this £1500 ? — A trifle more, about £135, which he has paid since.

  • 19202.

    When did he pay that £135 ? — Upon October 20th.

  • 19203.

    Is this £1500 paid yet ? — Yes, it is paid, but not paid into the bank. I have got the cheque with me if you would like to see it. It was paid upon October 20th.

  • 19204.

    He gave you the cheque upon October the 20th ? — Yes.

  • 19205.

    That is 10 days ago ? — Yes. I have not paid it in, and it is noted here in pencil in this book that it is not paid in.

  • 19206.

    You hold Sir Julian Goldsmid’s cheque for £1500 ? — Yes, in fact I consider that £1500 paid.

  • 19207.

    Did you ask Sir Julian Goldsmid to pay you that money, or did he voluntarily send you the cheque ? — No, he voluntarily sent the cheque. I should not ask for it more particularly after his telling me in the first week in September that he proposed to send it to me shortly, because that was quite sufficient for me.

  • 19208.

    When did Sir Julian Goldsmid give you the cheque for £700 ? — It was one cheque for £300, and one cheque for £400.

  • 19209.

    Did he then say anything about the £1500 ? — No, not a word further than he thanked me for sending the £1500 to Sandwich.

  • 19210.

    And he paid you the £700 ? — Yes, upon the general account for Rochester.

  • 19211.

    You did not write to ask for the money at any time after he paid you the £700 ? — No, I did not.

  • 19212.

    And he did not write to you or suggest to you when he was going to pay it, or anything about it ? — No; as I said he thanked me for sending it.

  • 19213.

    There was no correspondence between you upon the subject whatever ? — Not till he wrote and proposed to pay it and sent the cheque.

  • 19214.

    With the exception of that there has been no correspondence between you by letter at all ? — No.

  • 19215.

    Do you keep in that book that you have in your hand a running account between yourself and Sir Julian Goldsmid ? — No. All I keep in this book is the money that he pays me. This is what you might term a sort of ledger that a partner keeps for the satisfaction of his partners.

  • 19216.

    Does that book show entries upon both sides ? — No; it is only money received from Sir Julian Goldsmid.

  • 19217.

    There is nothing upon the other side at all ? — No.

  • 19218.

    It shows upon a particular day £700 paid ? — Yes, £300 and £400.

  • 19219.

    When was the last payment before that made ? —Upon May 4th, £1000, then the next was July 8th, £700, and the next, £135 1s 10d.

  • 19220.

    That was October 20th ? — Yes. This £135 1s 10d balanced his account for Rochester up to the 30th June.

  • 19221.

    When was the £135 1s 10d paid ? — Upon the 20th October, at the time he sent the £1500 to repay what we sent for him to Sandwich. At the same time he sent a cheque for £135 1s 10d to balance the account between us for Rochester to that day, the 30th June.

  • 19222.

    You were not in the habit of asking Sir Julian Goldsmid to make you payments, but he made payments when he thought proper ? — Yes.