| Description | Recognizance made by William Mote Watts of Rufforth builder, William Calvert of Acomb gentleman and Thomas Hill of Rufforth farmer, for the appearance of Watts if required at the next Quarter Sessions for sentencing, having been found guilty in a case of larceny of a piece of paper, the property of Francis Pattison. The judgement was postponed until certain points of law were resolved
Notice of the above recognizance addressed to William Mote Watts
Notice of the above recognizance addressed to William Calvert and Thomas Hill
Undated case for the opinion of the Justices of the Court of Exchequer relating to the case against William Mote Watts. Watts had been found guilty of stealing a piece of paper that had an agreement written on it between himself and the prosecutor, whereby Watts had contracted to build two cottages, and the prosecutor had agreed to pay in two instalments and the remainder on completion. At the time of the theft the work was going on but the cottages were unfinished. The paper was unstamped and it was clear that the larceny was only of a piece of paper and that the agreement still stood. It was found at the trial that when the piece of paper was stolen, the prisoner had been paid all the money that he was entitled to under it, although there was money owing to him for extras and alterations |