Arthur Jeanes Barrett, one of whose three retail wine shops was at 71, High-street, Rushden, came up for his public examination at Northampton Bankruptcy Court on Friday, his statement of affairs showing a deficiency of £971.

Debtor said he was uncertain of his age and at a later stage of the proceedings was ordered to produce a birth certificate. He admitted that he had been previously adjudged a bankrupt, this being at Birmingham in 1923, when carrying on a business as a confectioner. On that occasion his creditors lost just over £1,000. After that he was a general agent for five years was then employed by a chocolate firm for five years, part of the time as sales manager, and from 1933 to 1937 was selling on commission for various companies. He would not agree that he could have discharged the bankruptcy from earnings.

He got into touch with a large firm of wine and spirit merchants and agreed to open retail shops at which he could sell only wines and spirits supplied by that firm. It was at their suggestion that the title Douro Wine Shops was adopted. He opened a shop at Northampton in November, 1937, and a month later the one at Rushden, starting with £150, which was the net proceeds of the sale of a house at Birmingham. Takings at first exceeded anticipation and when they fell off and his stock got too large he took additional premises for a third shop at Northampton. In 1939, however, the decline in takings was considerable, and he found himself in arrears to his suppliers to the extent of £700 and made a deed of assignment to them. They had been taking proceedings against him from January, 1940.

The examination was continued of Arthur Jeanes Barrett, of 8 Hillcrest-avenue, Northampton, who had carried on business as Duoro Wine Shops in Harborough-road, Wellingborough-road, and Wellington-place, Northampton, and at Rushden.

His statement of affairs showed liabilities of £1,592 and a deficiency of £97.

The examination had been adjourned from the last court for the production of his birth certificate.

After questions relating to Barrett’s age and second Christian name, debtor was examined at length by Mr. F. C. Whiting (for the trustee) about various details in his accounts, and Mr. Whiting applied for the preparation of a cash account for the period January, 1939 to March, 1940.

In reply to a creditor, Barrett said that certain accounts were lost in floods at St. James’s.

The examination was adjourned to the August Court, and an order made for production of the cash account asked for.