Former Conservative MP Charles Harvey Combe – who lived in Bonchurch – was swindled out of £3, a court heard on 18th September 1924.
Charles Combe was a very wealthy man, who had been a director of the brewery firm Comber & Co, which merged with Watney, becoming the largest brewery in London. £3 a hundred years ago is worth over £150 in today’s values.
The swindler, 65-year-old James Perry, had been known for 20 years as a very clever and persistent begging-letter writer, who had been convicted a number of times since 1902 and had served 2 terms of 3 years penal servitude.
Perry had acquainted himself with the history of titled and well-to-do families, before claiming to have been a former servant who had found himself in distressed circumstances, appealing for help.
The fraudster had written to Combe in the name of Mrs Preston, relating a pitiful tale of the harrowing experiences and misfortunes she had supposedly suffered.
In passing sentence, Sir Robert Wallace said:
“The prisoner’s letter was one which might draw charity from a stone.”
Perry – who pleaded guilty to obtaining money under false pretences – was further told:
“You have shown misplaced ability which must be checked, and consequently you will go to prison for 18 months.”
The boot is on the other foot these days
As opposed to all the Tory MP’s who have swindled us taxpayers out of multi-millions eh?