LEVY/LEWIS AND BILL DISCOUNTING SWINDLES

[phillip]

This new thread attempts to examine in greater detail the relationships between the various Levi/Levy/Lewis who appeared in numerous newspaper accounts during the period 1819 -1850s through their involvement in Bills of Exchange fraud. In previous threads including Edward Lawrence Levy-solicitor and Henry Levy Lewis data was provided to indicate some of the relationships between the various Levy/Levi/Lewis and others but there were gaps in confirming which individuals related such as through marriage or through birth. This new thread is a work in progress and hopefully new data will emerge to confirm more positively what the relationships were. The Court Case of The King v Kinnier,Meyers and others of 1819 involved a range of individuals including Lewis Levy; David Levy; John Levett who are the focus of this initial research. The case involved substantial Bills of Exchange fraud over some years accounting for thousands of pounds. Lewis Levy was the son of David Levy and from further research it appears that John Levett/Levitt was also a brother of Lewis. I will provide data to indicate this relationship. Lewis Levy was convicted and sentenced to 2 years in Gloucester gaol and fined £5000. Lewis tried in the case of The King v Lewis Levy The Morning Post Nov 29,1821 to be removed from Gloucester gaol because " he could not live without more space and air" and also that his wife was dying and he had 6 children. He asked to be moved to a gaol in London but this was declined because he still owed the £5000 fine.
As will be shown Lewis Levy was to appear in later cases involving Bills of Exchange fraud. In the case of Levy v Roberts reported in The Times Fri July 9, 1819 David Levy the father of Lewis Levy described how he had entered into a contract with Alexander Levy an attorney - Alexander Levy stated "that the plaintiff had called upon him in Nov 1814 he told him his son was greatly indebted to him, he wanted a frsh advance of money and asked what security he ought to take for the repayment of it. Witness suggested that a warrant of attorney would be the best security he could have." Later, by 1818 a Bill of sale was executed by the Sheriff to Lewis Levy and his premises in Prescot St Goodman's fields were seized due to his failure to pay the outstanding loan. Lewis Levy by the time of the 1819 trial was already in prison. The involvement of Lewis Levy with Levi/Levy the Sheriff's Officers will be described in later posts. Whether or not Alexander Levy attorney was a relative of David Levy remains unsolved at present.
Phillip

[phillip]

In #1 of this thread I referred to the possibility of David Levy being the father of John Levett/Levitt. The will of David Levy NA 695 ( see also National Archives UK for data on the full will) summary Synagogue Scribes 22 April, 1830 24 P...? Street Newington Butts may indicate a possible relationship. In the will summary David Levy's wife is Sarah and sons are Louis Levy; John, Henry and Morris LEVETT of 12 Southampton Row, Russell Square and daughters -Dinah the wife of Michael Levy;Jane the wife of Samuel Moses Mawson; Rebecca the wife of Samuel Isaacs; Catherine the wife of John Lumley. The executors- Morris Levett; Woolf Simmons; David Levy furniture broker Chalcroft Terrace Row Cut Lambeth. This David Levy appears as a bankrupt in the Law Advertiser 1831 as- David Levy formerly of Tiverton,Devonshire jeweller, after that of Milsom St Bath and the same time of Weymouth Dorsetshire jeweller in co-partnership at the latter two places with Moses Abrahams under the firm of Abrahams and Levy after that Piccadilly, Middx jeweller and late of Chalcroft Terrace New Cut Lambeth at the same time of Oxford and St John St Clerkenwell upholsterer and furniture broker. Whether or not David Levy with sons using the Levett surname is the same individual named in the 1819 trial is the same individual who died in 1830 remains to be confirmed.
In the court case of Levy v Edwards The Morning Chronicle Tues Dec 9, 1823 there is reference to both a Mr John Levitt walking with Mr Alexander Levy the plaintiff's brother ( not named) but the plaintiff " was a gentleman attached to the Neapolitan Legation". Again, the question to be asked is whether or not Levitt and the Levy relate and who the Levy plaintiff brother of Alexander Levy is.
More to follow.
Phillip

[phillip]

In the Court of Kings Bench case Uther v Lord Arthur Chichester -The Times Mon June 26,1837 Lewis Levy appeared as a witness again involved in Bills of Exchange dealings. The case also dealt with dealings involving Levy and others dating from 1834. Levy stated that he had " borrowed some money on one of the bills of Levi, the Sheriff's Officer. I was to return the money..in a certain time or the bill was to be forfeited. I did not pay the money at the time.I applied money to my own purpose. I borrowed £75 from Hunter... When I applied to Hunter for the bill he said he had parted with it. I assigned over some houses to Hunter to make a honourable transaction, and he has now got the property and the bills... I purchased the houses, and assigned them to my daughter who assigned them to Hunter". When further examined Levy stated.." I have been in the Bench four or five times within the last twenty years....I am now in White Cross Stree Prison. I have been there once before and twice in the Fleet. I was in Gloucester for three years. I was indicted for conspiracy the jury found me guilty". In the trial Levy referred to .." a clerk a friend of mine (Hart) to fill up some bills". As will be shown this Hart was John Minter Hart aka John Hart aka Minter Hart aka Edward Blake a former attorney struck off and who was transported for life in a later trial ending up in NSW and later Sydney.

Interestingly, Lewis Levy appears in the same year of 1837 in the case of Cannon v Levi - The Times Mon Dec 4, 1837 in which he is named as having dealings with Charles Lewis in Bills of Exchange dealings. Whether or not any of the dealings involving Lewis Levy and his father David Levy indicate family relationships with the Levy/Lewis has not been established but there was no apparent 'falling out among thieves" given the length of periods of time in which they appear to have been associated.
Phillip

[phillip]

In the continuing saga of Lewis Levy he appeared in the case of Scott v Ferris reported in The Daily News Sat Aug 26,1848 and The Standard Mon 28 Aug,1848- another case of bill swindling. In this case Levy stated he lived at Tokenhouse Yard and was a share and bill broker. He further stated that "He has been a whole sale slop seller and picture dealer. Am as well known by the name of Lewis as Levi. My children are called Lewis because my wife is a Christian woman..I was convicted over conspiracy thirty years ago and was fined £5000 and imprisoned for two years..was charged with conspiring to obtain goods by false pretences... I have a family and we all live with my daughter, the house being in her name.. I have been a wholesale slop seller, very near Wapping. I have been in the picture line. I did largely in discounting".

I have yet to identify Lewis Levy in the census of 1841 and possibly 1851 but he maybe the Lewis Levy in 1851 Census HO 107 1552 898 16 (Crown Copyright,TNA)-53 Smith St Stepney- Lewis Levy H M 82 General Dealer b Whitechapel; Mary A Levy wife 48 b Whitechapel; Elizabeth Hart dau M 38 b East Smithfields; Sarah Watson niece u 9 b Hammersmith; Louisa Lewis dau u 24 b Surrey Kent Road.
Phillip

[phillip]

This posts examines newspaper accounts which links John Minter Hart to Lewis Levy; Robert Jope Neck; Lewis Jacobs; Lawrence Levy through the trial of Neck v Wiseman reported in the The Morning Chronicle Weds Nov 27, 1833 and other newspaper accounts. There is no suggestion that John Minter Hart aka Morton/Moreton aka Smith aka Edward Blake ( probably other alias used) was a Jew or a family member of the Levy and others. However, he was involved with them through Bill swindles probably over a period of time. There are a range of records on Ancestry Com relating to John Minter Hart including his Criminal record and transportation to Australia. Hart was an attorney but struck off in 1832 for obtaining a bill of exchange for £2000 through fraud.There are records of his articles of clerkship in 1824 Dover, Kent with Jane Minter Hart being named ( probably his mother) as a witness. He married very well to Barbara Roper Chambers in July 1822 Dover, Kent but records indicate she died in 1829. I have not explored the lines in any detail since they do not relate to my Levy/Jacobs. John Minter Hart was a bankrupt in 1829 and stated to be a wine merchant of East India Chambers Leadenhall St. He was in trouble again in 1836 as a bankrupt- London Gazette 18 March, 1836- John Minter Hart formerly of 51 and 53 George St Hampstead Rd then 19 Morning Crescent Hampstead Rd then a prisoner in New Prison Clerkenwell then a prisoner Newgate then of 29 Robert St Hampstead Rd formerly an attorney at law and a commission agent and late of 47 Grosvenor Place Euston Square Middx wine and general commission agent and bill broker. He was transported 16 Dec 1836 for forginga bill of exchange- transported for life but pardoned 31 Dec 1847. He settled in Sydney NSW but Australian Newspaper Archive accounts show him in trouble with the courts for Bills of Exchange swindles and he received 12 weeks imprisonment Sydney in 1850. He appeared as John Minter Hart Bourke St NSW Electoral Rolls 1851-52 Sydney but there are no later records to indicate his death. The Lewis Jacobs who was named in the 1833 trial was Lewis Jacobs glass dealer 1791-1852 one of the Jacobs relatives of the Levy.
Phillip

[phillip]

In his book Wealth and Notoriety the extraordinary families of William Levy and Charles Lewis of London, Robert Ward April 2013 ( self publishing lulu.com) Robert makes reference to William Levy insuring 7 Great Prescott St Goodmans Fields October 1819 - Sun Fire Records National Archives UK. This address matches that of Lewis Levy who insured the house in 1816. Robert speculated that the two Levy may have been related. However, the court case of Levy v Roberts 1819 posted on earlier in this thread suggests that the house only became the property of William Levy in his capacity as Sheriff's Officer when they seized property from Lewis Levy because he had failed to pay a debt on a bill of exchange. Linked to this court case was Alexander Levy attorney but currently there is no proof he was related to William Levy. What the court case of 1819 suggests is that William Levy saw a good deal and seized the house for his own use on the default of Lewis Levy by that stage in prison. If William Levy had been a close friend or relative of David Levy and his son Lewis then it was unlikely that David Levy would have sued for the return of the property. Lewis Levy however still borrowed money from Levi the Sheriff's Officer as he stated in the 1837 trial of Uther v Lord Arthur Chichester which suggests that he was still involved with the Levy in Bills of Exchange dealings in spite of the 1819 issues.
Another court case -Brenton, Gent v Levy -The Court of Kings Bench The Morning Chronicle Fri June 12,1829 referred to David Levi ( no details of who he was or where he lived). In the trial it was stated that .."work and labour done for the defendant by the plaintiff as an attorney. An uncle of the defendant, David Levi, had been bailed by the defendant for £300, but afterwards surrendered.... application made for attachment to the Sheriff and the plaintiff was employed by the defendant." Unfortunately, there is no clue in the trial to indicate the first name of the attorney.
A later case of Goodman v Harvie and another over a Bill of Exchange - Court of Kings Bench Goodman v Harvie and another The Morning Post Thurs April 29, 1836 stated.." fraudently transferred to one Lewis Levi. From Lewis Levi it passed to David Levi and from him to the plaintiff". Again there are no indications as to who this David Levi may have been or his relationship to Lewis Levi.
Phillip

[phillip]

This post considers the part Daniel Levi/Levy played along with his Levy relatives in the Bills of Exchange swindles. The relationship between Daniel Levy and the William Levy line has been discussed in threads including Edward Lawrence Levy-solicitor and the Jacobs,glass and china dealers. Daniel Levy was a brother of Nathaniel and Lewis Levy known as The Turnpike Levy- in the will of Lewis Levy he had left Daniel £1000 and named him as his brother. It is possible that Daniel was also known as David because this is the name recorded on the marriage certificate of his daughter Catherine Virginia Levy to Simon Henry Russell aka George Henry Russell. Daniel had married Amelia Jacobs daughter of Henry Jacobs and Kitty Moses and newspaper records show his involvement with Lawrence Levy, Edward Lawrence Levy and Charles Lewis in Bills of Exchange dealings. It is possible that he is the same person who appears in The Court of Kings Bench Cunliffe and another,assigneees of Fowler v Butler- Bill of Exchange dealings..." a person of the name Daniel was called, who stated his name had been Daniel Levi and he had accepted a great many bills in the name of Levi but had dropped the name about four years ago". The Morning Chronicle Weds Feb 25,1829. Daniel Levy appeared later in another Bill of Exchange court case showing how he had worked closely with Lawrence Levy and Charles Lewis- The Era Sunday Feb 23 1845. He tried to distance himself from Bills of Exchange transactions possibly because of the public and parliamentary outcry and investigations into the whole issue of Bills Of Exchange- his newspaper statement appeared in 1853 - Daniel Levy 52 Lambs Conduit St Foundling 24 Sept 1853- Caution Persons from discounting bills of exhange either with my endorsement or acceptance on them, the same being a forgery. I have no bills of any description..." The Times Sat Sept 24,1853.
Phillip

[RDWard]

I agree that the Levy v Roberts (1819) case (see #1 and #6) seems to make it less likely that William Levy was a close relative of David and Lewis Levy.