Robert Collier of Crawley

[peter cameron]

I would be interested to know more of the fraud case. I do know that he was the godson of Frances Piercy (grandaughter of White Piercy) who died in Reading in 1840 and left him a small bequest.

 

[Huncamunca]

I would be interested to know more of the fraud case.

The criminal registers on Ancestry show that the trial was at Oxford Quarter Sessions. Some of the QS records for this period have recently been catalogued by volunteers and can be searched on the Oxfordshire Heritage Search site. Do an advanced search for Edward's full name to get details of several records. There are two indictments of 'Edward Smith Collier of Witney, labourer & formerly relieving officer of Witney Union', one for 'fraudulently accounting for keep of William Andrews & Sarah Webb & presenting false accounts to the Union' (ORO ref. QS1840/4/L3/14) and another for 'fraudulently accounting for keep of Mary Coombs?' (QS1840/4/L3/15). There are also depositions by Thomas East of Witney, relieving officer & Francis Hunt, clerk of Witney Union (QS1840/4/L4/27).

Besides these records, which are at the Oxfordshire History Centre, there may well be more at Kew in MH 12 (poor law union correspondence).

 

[AnnB]

From the Oxford Journal for the 15th August 1840
Edw. Smith Collier charged with embezzling the sum of 39s, the property of the Guardians of the Witney Union.

Ann

 

[peter cameron]

Many thanks for the above. His occupation at the time of the embezzlement, apart from acting as relieving officer for the Witney Union, was that of labourer. Derek in his contribution above gives Edward Smith Collier as at Worsham Mill in 1835: so Edward's occupation at that time was as an employee at the mill given that the family had sold the mill by that date?

 

[BlackberryBlossom]

I am working on the history of Crawley and Crawley Mill in Oxfordshire, and have in effect reached a brick wall regarding Robert Collier (c.1790-1848) - does anyone have any information about this individual? i know that he went bankrupt around 1833 (source Jacksons Oxford journal), but how did Colliers manage to hang on to the blanket-making business after that date?

There is a very good publication called the Witney Blanket Story. They talk about the history of the blankets and the part the Colliers played in that history. Horatio was born in 1806 and his brother Robert in 1789 (? maybe 1790). They did go bankrupt in 1833. Not sure how they got going again, but they did. Good question.