Bankruptcy (1914)

Post date: Apr 25, 2014 2:34:47 PM

Extract from Kent Messenger of 8th August 1914:

WATERINGBURY

BANKRUPTCY CASE

Ernest Curd, of Wisteria Villa , Wateringbury , and formerly of 103, Week Street, Maidstone, came up for his public examination at the Maidstone Bankruptcy Court, on Wednesday before Mr. Registrar Englefield.

Examined by the Official Receiver (Mr. R. T. Tatham), the debtor said he commenced business as a tobacconist and confectioner, at 106, Week Street, in February, 1913, paying the previous proprietor, Mr. Chate, £146 for the stock, etc. He sold the business on May 14th last for £85. He could not make it a success and that was why he parted with it. He was a painter by trade and except on Saturdays or Sundays his sisters or his young lady attended to the business. He lost £65 between July 7th, 1913, and May 14th, 1914. His own household expenses were a pound a week. He himself exercised no supervision whatever over the business and he kept no proper books. He had a penny note book in which those in charge of the shop sometimes entered the receipts and outgoings.

—The Official Receiver: And you call that doing business?

—I never knew much about business.

—The Official Receiver: On the 14th May last you owed from £130 to £140: did you know it at that time ?

— No, sir ; I knew nothing at all what I owed. I thought I owed about £30 .

— The Official Receiver: I suppose you got sick of the whole business and let it slide?

— I found I was losing money and that if I stayed there much longer I should be sold out and so I sold the business.

—The Official Receiver: Did you stick to the money?

—No; I hadn’t much to stick to. He added that he paid some of his creditors with the money. He did not owe his father any money. His father gave him £46, and he gave his father £25 on the 16th May.—

The Official Receiver: What did you pay him that for?

— Because he helped me out of difficulties.

— The Official Receiver: There was no debt due to your father when you

gave him that sum? — No.

—The debtor was allowed to pass