Expenses of Son’s Illness
The only examination which took place at Northampton Bankruptcy Court last Friday was that of Thomas Ernest Rattley, fish salesman, of 174, Wellingborough-road, Rushden. Liabilities were given as £143 14s 9d, assets £3 13s and deficiency £149. In reply to Mr. D. Helliar, the official receiver, debtor said he was 39 years of age. At 14½ he was apprenticed to a Rushden bricklayer. He stayed until he was 18, and later was engaged in the fish trade at Spilsby. In 1907 he returned to Rushden and opened a fish business in High-street with a capital of £3, which was sufficient to buy a consignment of fish to sell. He was
and in the following year took into partnership a retired mariner named Meadows, who paid £5 for an equal share. The partnership lasted until 1913, when Meadows retired owing to ill-health, debtor paying him £20 by instalments of 5s a week.
In June 1916, debtor said, he opened the Wellingborough-road premises, retaining also those in High-street until he joined the Army in February 1917. He remained on service until March 1919, and received a gratuity of £10 on demobilisation. Meanwhile his wife had kept the Wellingborough-road business going. In 1923 he got into financial difficulties and borrowed £20, repaying £32, including the interest, and in August 1923, a judgment for £47 was obtained against him by Mr. Goode, a fish merchant of Wellingborough, of which he had cleared all but £2 or £3.
Debtor admitted that at the time of the receiving order, five creditors had obtained judgment. His son’s illness, lasting since 1917 had entailed expenses totalling £175. His wife owned the furniture, which she brought from money secured by taking in theatrical lodgers and by dressmaking. Just before the receiving order he sold a small quantity of furniture to pay the expenses of filing his petition, and he had no assets other than a few fixtures and fittings of the shop.
The examination was formally adjourned until August 13th.
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