Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents, and Strange EventsBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents, and Strange Events
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Legends -- England -- Yorkshire; Yorkshire (England) -- Miscellanea
John Greenwood had a brother living at Luddenden, named William. John
went to him, and gave the unsigned note into his hand. He then received
the note back again from his brother. This farce was enacted between
them to enable John to give an evasive answer to any one who should make
troublesome inquiries as to how he became possessed of the note. John
now went to the house of Thomas Greenwood, of Birchcliffe, and completed
the purchase of a clock from him, giving him in payment the unsigned
note, with some other money. Another version of the story is that given
by William Greenwood, the brother, at York, viz., that "John Greenwood
came to his father's house on Tuesday, February 11th, and on going home,
desired William to 'go agatards' with him; when he told him that he had
bought a clock of Thomas Greenwood that came to forty-two shillings;
that he would give him a note which the witness was to give to Thomas
Greenwood on John's account, and say that he had lent it to John. This
William did; but he then began to think that John had not come by the
note in an honest manner."
A woman named Betty Wadsworth, having had an illegitimate child, had
been disowned by her relatives, and was now living "afore t' friend" at
Rawholme with another William Greenwood, commonly known by the name of
"Will o' t' shop." She possessed a chest of drawers, which, to raise
money, she disposed of to Thomas Greenwood, of Birchcliffe, who in
payment handed over to her the unsigned note on Tuesday, February 11th.
The same evening she went to the shop of John Hoyle, of Woodend, to buy
groceries, and offered the unsigned note in payment. Hoyle refused to
receive it, seeing it was unsigned. She took it back to Rawholme.
Wednesday morning, the 12th, she sent it up to Thomas Greenwood by
Sarah, wife of "Will o' t' shop," complaining that he had paid to her a
note which was not genuine. Now this Thomas Greenwood[17] was a weaver
for Mr. John Sutcliffe, of The Lee; and on the day before Tuesday he had
received from Mr. John Sutcliffe, for wages, a Halifax banknote. Not
being able to read, he was not aware whether the rejected note was that
which he had received from William Greenwood, of Luddenden, or from Mr.
John Sutcliffe. Doubting whether he should be able to get a good note
from John or William Greenwood in exchange for it, he decided to try The
Lee first, and hope for a successful issue of the experiment. He went
immediately to The Lee, and found in the warehouse Mr. Richard Aked, who
was learning the business with Mr. Sutcliffe. To him he gave the note,
saying that Mr. Sutcliffe must have given him an unsigned note by
mistake the day before. Mr. Aked took the note to Mr. Sutcliffe, who was
breakfasting. He at once saw that this note was the key to the discovery
of Sammy's murderer. He sent for some constables, and meanwhile learned
from Thomas Greenwood that the note had come from "Joan o' t' Bog-eggs."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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