Mitchell John Masterton (1854-1920)
Theft from Employer
Mitchell John Masterton of Newcastle-upon-Tyne was charged at the age of 24 with stealing cloth from his employer's drapery business.
Genealogy
Mitchell John Masterton was the fourth of seven children born to Henry Masterton and Jane Dixon. Henry died in 1860, when Mitchell John was 4 years old. His mother Jane brought him up with his three surviving siblings.
Fuller details of the extended family of Mitchell John Masterton can be found in the following link.
Sunderland Daily Echo
A DISHONEST - "ASSISTANT." - At the Newcastle Police Court on Saturday, Michael [sic] John Masterton (24), draper's assistant, was remanded until Friday, charged with stealing during the last six months a large quantity of cloth, valued at £32, from the shop of his employers, Messrs, Ralph Wilson and Co., drapers and clothiers, Grey-street.
Sunderland Daily Echo
14th January, 1878
Newcastle Courant
NEWCASTLE.- SATURDAY.
SYSTEMATIC ROBBERIES BY A DRAPER'S ASSISTANT.
Michael [sic] John Masterton (24), draper's assistant, was charged with stealing during the last six months a large quantity of cloth, valued at £32, from the shop of his employers, Messrs Ralph Wilson and Co., drapers and clothiers, Grey Street.
-John Pearson, assistant with the prosecutor, said the prisoner had served his apprenticeship with the firm, and during the last six months had acted as warehouseman.
-Detective Sergeant Smith said that about three o'clock on Friday afternoon he apprehended the prisoner in the prosecutors' shop. He afterwards went and took possession of the cloth [produced] at the shop of Michael Andrew Walton, marine store dealer, High Friar Street. He also took possession of twenty-three receipted bills for cloth sold by the prisoner to a tailor named Wilkinson, of Yorkshire Street, Shieldfield. The bills covered a period of about fifteen months, and showed the sum of £32 to have been paid to the prisoner by Wilkinson for cloth.
-This was all the evidence offered, and the prisoner was remanded for the purpose of further inquiries being made.
Newcastle Courant
Friday, 18th January, 1878