MARFLEET Including variants e.g. MERFLET(T); MARFLETE; MARFLIT(T); MARFLIGHT, etc. Family History


Extract from:
The Times
Saturday, February 8, 1834.





COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.


COURT OF COMMISSIONERS, BASINGHALL-STREET,
FEB.7.
(Before Mr. Commissioner WILLIAMS.)
IN RE D. MARFLEET.

In this case the assignees, Mr. Smith, of the firm of Leaf and Co., of the Old Charge, and Mr. Massey, of the firm of Wiltshire and Massey, of Cheapside, attented the Commissioner, for the purpose of declaring a dividend under this estate.
Mr. Commissioner WILLIAMS took the case in consequence of the illness of Mr. Commissioner MERIVALE.
Mr. Ashurst, the solicitor, in answer to the Commissioner's inquiries, stated that the bankrupt, Marfleet, had carried on a small business at Whitechapel, as a linen-draper; about three months previous to his failure, availaing himself of the credit he then had, he increased his purchases to double their usual amount, and sold his goods at great sacrifices for half their value, for the sake of cash, and absconded with about 1,900l in money, raised upon the sacrifice of his creditors goods to double that value. He managed to keep up appearances in his shop, by the usual means resorted to when a small stock is to be made to appear a full one, and, by arrangements previously made, was off for America under an assumed name. Nearly a fortnight elapsed before his absence was discovered. Immediately on his flight being ascertained, his creditors assembled, and though the stock he left was hardly sufficient to answer the probable expenses of pursuing him, and the consequent expenses attendant on legal proceedings, they determined, notwithstanding the case was not very important in amount, to pursue him for the sake of example. An active and intelligent agent was therefore despatched to America, who found him in Long Island, procured his arrest, and by active legal proceedings there, assisted with much zeal by the American legal agents, succeeded in tracing and securing his deposits. The bankrupt was ultimately compelled to refund the whole amount of the money with which he had absconded, less only the sums he had necessarily expended in conveying himself and his wife to America. The debts proved amounted to nearly 5,000l. The stock left in England would have paid from 1s.6d. to 2s. in the pound. The official assignee is now in possession of funds, after paying the heavy expenses incurred, to declare a dividend of 4s.6d. in the pound.
The COMMISSIONER - It is extremely pleasing to find that when such instances are pursued with zeal, the law is strong enough to expose and punish such men. The assignees and creditors are entitled to the thanks of the public for the example they have set, and he considered they had done more good by that than merely adding an increase to the amount of the dividend.
The assignees said they were satisified with that. The increase of the dividend in this particular case was a secondary object: they had, with other principal houses in the trade, determined to pursue and punish at all events, and the Commissioner had but expressed the opinion of the trade in general, that the greatest good was derived from such examples.
A dividend of 4s.6d. in the pound was then directed to be made, which will be paid in a few days by Mr. Green, the official assignee.

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