| Description | Soho Jany 20th 1806
Peter Ewart Esqr
Sir,
By desire of Mr Boulton I take the liberty of requesting, that you will have the goodness to direct some enquiry to be made into a case that has lately been submitted to his humane consideration.
It will be within your recollection that one of the gang who committed the robbery at Soho, a few years since, was known by the appellation of “The little Devil.” His wife, Elizth Fowles, has lately written to Mr Boulton from Manchester stating, that she is become a Widow, her husband having died at New South Wales, that she is in extreme distress, one of her children being dangerously ill & herself afflicted with rhumatic lameness, & that some small assistance wou’d at this time be a great blessing to her. She states her residence to be with a “M’rs Johnson No 23, Silver Street, Manchester.”
Mr Boulton sincerely wishes the Widow Fowles had a part of the 150 Guineas her late husband stole from Soho, but as it is possible her case may merit some compassion, Mr Boulton wishes that you would send some proper person to enquire into the truth of this Womans allegations;—for whilst on the one hand, Mr Boulton would consider it worse than throwing away his money to give even the smallest trifle to one who attempts to mislead him by a fallacious statement, & especially if if be only to encourage dissoluteness; so on the other hand, he would wish to extend some little relief to so unhappy a Being if her distresses are not fictitious, & her habits of life are tolerably orderly. Mr B therefore requests that you will be governed by the report you receive & act as you think he himself wou’d do if present, advancing her one or two Guineas, or nothing at all, according to the circumstances of the case. And in the event of your granting any relief Mr Boulton will, when apprized thereof, direct an immediate reimbursement.
I am respectfully
Sir
your obt huml Servt
Wm Cheshire
PS.
Upon referring to Eliz Fowles’ letter it appears that she does not state her residence to be at M’rs Johnsons—No 23 Silvr Street but only desires Mr B to direct to her there. |