John B. Scutt 1800-1880

[Salisbury and Winchester Journal, Wiltshire, Mon 02 Mar 1835. Married, Feb 23, at Preston Church, near Weymouth, by the Rev. Mr. Piers, Mr. John Scutt to Miss Caroline Cooper, niece of C. Gill, Esq., of Wyke Oliver Farm.] [Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, London, Sunday 10 January 1847. Ref: Mr John Scutt the Guardian. The fate of the labourer. Evidence of Susan Galpin, daughter of the deceased miller, and sister of the deceased William Miller. Susan Galpin, of the parish of Preston-cum-Sutton states that she is a married woman, having three children. Her husband is a thatcher; sometimes he works for Mr. Wallis, at Preston, sometimes for his son Josiah, at Sutton; his earnings at day-work are eight shillings per week when upon the farms; thatching he does by piece-work; its done by the square, for which he used to get two shillings and sixpence, but sixpence is now taken off; thinks by working hard that her husband could get two shillings per day in fine weather. Out of his wages he has to pay one shilling per week for house rent; nothing is allowed to them, except at the fall of the year, when they get a hundred faggots, which they pay two shillings for cutting. Her father, mother, and brother lived with them, who paid nothing for house-rent. Her father was sixty-seven years of age when he died. He worked for Mr. Wallis forty or fifty years as a carter; latterly he has been unable to follow that occupation, and was employed doing odd jobs, at bird-keeping, for which he received six-pence a day. When he was ill at home he received nothing from the farm, but for the support of himself and his wife he received one shilling and sixpence and a loaf from the parish. Her father kept off birds until within a week of his death; he had had bad breath for some years; was sometimes better, sometimes worse. He was taken ill with influenza on Thursday the 17th, he continued to get worse every day. The union doctor came to the parish to see other people, and she left word for him at a neighbour's to come to see her father and brother, who were both lying ill at the same time. He (the doctor) came; he did not say much to her father, hardly anything; he did not say that he would send him any medicine, nor did he do so; her father had nothing from the doctor at all. He came the second time to see her brother, and left as before, without ordering her father anything. Her father had nothing to eat or to nourish him but dry bread, and sometimes a little tea, without milk or sugar. After two or three days he could not relish even the bread, it was so dry and stale. Her father had often expressed a wish that he could have some of the broth that had been sent for her brother, which he did get a little of. The day before her brother died, young Mr. Wallis came to see them, as he had heard that her brother (who had died two days before) had been starved, and he wished to know all about it. After he left he sent father in a dinner of pork and potatoes, which he relished and ate very heartily, He died the next day. No clergyman attended him in the parish, but a Mr. Brown and another came to see him once from Weymouth. My brother was thirty-two years of age. He has worked for Mr. Wallis twenty years, or more. He never worked for anybody else: He earned five shillings a week, never more. He was always good to his father and mother. There never could be a better son or brother. We never had an angry word with him. About four months ago he was summoned before the magistrates of Weymouth, as the father of a bastard child by Ann Chalker, living at Weymouth, and was required to pay one shilling and sixpence a week towards its support, which he stated he was unable to do from his wages. They let him free then, but afterwards had him arrested at the farm, and taken to Dorchester gaol, where he remained three months; when he came out he was very well, and looked very nice in his face, and said that he never was better. He went to work on the 7th for a week. On the 10th he went again, but felt very unwell, and said, "Mother, I seem so bad that I don't know how I shall get through the day." She tried to persuade him to stop at home, but he said, "What shall we do to live if I stop at home?" He went to work, but returned early, and did not go out after. He got worse and worse. The doctor was attending in the parish, and we left word with a neighbour, who he thought he would be visiting, for him to call. He came as soon as he received the message, and saw my brother; after he had done so, he desired us to send to Weymouth, and he would send a bottle of medicine, which he did, and my brother took it. He called again in three days; that was on Thursday, the 17th, when he said he would change the medicine, and send another bottle. He never called after. My brother gradually sank, and died on the Monday night. He never earned more than six shillings after he left prison. Mother applied to Mr Hine, the relieving-officer for relief; he gave her nothing, but asked to see my brother, he came to the cottage and saw him, and then told my mother to come to the union (four miles), and what there was for him he should have. I went; mother was not able. I waited two hours, and saw Mr John Scutt, the guardian, go in; When all the rest of the applicants had left, Mr. Hine told me there was nothing for my brother. I asked what he was to do; if nothing was allowed him he would starve. He said, "I can't help it; there is nothing for him." I asked for an order for the house. He asked if I thought he would come in; to which I said that he must, as there was nothing at home for him to live upon out of one shilling and six-pence for three of them. He talked very rough to me, which I did not like. He told me that my brother was to walk in, and that if he could not walk, he was to get a cart. I told him that he was too ill for that, for my mother was obliged to dress and undress him; to which he said, "Never mind that, there will be somebody here to do it for him; he must come in." He then gave me the order for admission. Upon my return home, I told my brother that there was nothing for him, which very much troubled him, but that there was an order for him to go to the house, at which he cried very bitterly and said that he had not the power to go. I took it very hard, put on my bonnet, and went to master's. I told Mrs. Wallis what had passed with the relieving-officer, and she said how bad it was to be treated so badly. Mr. Wallis first told me to apply. I borrowed an arm-chair of Mrs. Wallis, who told me to fetch a cup, and she would give my brother some broth. I took it home, and gave it to him: he seemed a bit better. Mrs. Wallis sent him same more to nice after that; father was lying ill and had some of it. Sunday night my brother had the last of it, not quite a teacupful; he looked up upon us all, and said, "Now my broth is done, I'm done." He went to bed about nine o'clock. All that night he had nothing to eat or drink. Next day (Monday) he said he wished he had a drop more broth. Mother asked him to have a bit of bread soaked in hot water: he said yes, he was so very hungry, he could eat so much. He had some bread and water on that morning, and had nothing else all that day or night. He slept with my eldest boy, who is about ten years old. My mother covered them up with what clothes she had it was a very sold night and then went to bed. Towards morning mother called out to my son, and told him to put his hand against William to see if he was warm and covered up. My son said, Oh, mother, William is so cold, and feels stiff," at which mother got up and found him dead! Both my father and brother were buried in one grave. There was no inquest upon the bodies. My brother's complaint was what is called influenza; he had shortness of breath before that; but it is my opinion, and that of all the rest of our family, that he died for the want of sufficient nourishment. Mr. Placket, the doctor, said he would have got well, and able to be about in two or three weeks, if he had gone to the house.] [Chester Chronicle Saturday 26 April 1856. The Agapemone near Bridgewater. A few days ago, farmer named Scutt, occupier of a farm near Carnington, attempted suicide at the Agapemone, Charlinch. He is now under surveilence of two-keepers. Differences importance have broken out amongst the members of the above singular fraternity. The "Prince" is said to have declared himself to be nothing more than mortal and not that spiritual caste he has hitherto professed to be. He has left his flock for Plymouth, add his departure has caused wonderful transformation in their internal regulations; instead of playing hockey" on the Sunday, they have become amazed, and now trust for their protection to prayers to the Almighty. Mr. Scutt was a man of considerable property when he joined Prince, made it all over to him, and this self-beggaring the supposed cause of his rash attempt on his life. Sherborne Journal.] [Western Gazette, Somerset, Friday 22 February 1867. Weymouth. Sheep Stealing. On Friday last, George Harris was committed for trial at the ensuing assizes, charged with stealing two lambs from the farm of Mr. John Scutt, at Preston.] [Western Gazette Fri 02 Apr 1880 44412: 4 West Walks Terrace, Dorchester. MR. T. Ensor has been favoured with instructions to Sell by Auction, on Wednesday, April 7th, 1880, the valuable, substantial, and modern Furniture, 7-octave Pianofort, x Oil paintings, Feather beds, Bed and Table linen, China, Glass, 180oz. of Silver plated articles, Breech-loading double gun, a few books, and about 100 dozen of Choice wines, consisting of 1863 and 1868 ports, sherries, and claret, late the property of Mr. John Scutt, deceased. Particulars given in catalogues, to be had of the Auctioneer, 54 South Street, Dorchester, three days before the sale. May tie viewed on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 6th. The sale will commence at one o'clock. The sale will be held at four o'clock.] [J B S - 79yr.]