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G8 vii. Thomas COLCHESTER was christened on 16 Jan 1757 in Barking, Suffolk and was buried there on 25 May 1838.8
He witnessed the marriage of John Worledge of Creeting St Peter to his sister Elizabeth, Sept 15 1793, and also the marriage of Thomas Gray to Sally Hunt on Jan 4 1807.
He paid Land Tax of 6s on property valued at £1 10s in 1803.
He was a schoolmaster as well as a bankers clerk and was required to produce his schoolmaster's licence as was recorded in the Norwich Visitation Book.
He witnessed the wills of John Wood 1799, Edward Sheldrake 1800 and was executor to the wills of John Whistle 1808 and Alice How of Needham Market, 1808.
He gave 2s 6d to the Needham Market Benevolent Society in 1809 when a subscription was being raised.2
The Suffolk Chronicle of April 1823 records that Thomas, clerk of the Needham Market Branch of Alexanders Bank, gave evidence on the theft of banknotes in the previous year.2 Thomas had been entrusted with a parcel containing £31,199 of £10, £5, and £1 notes to be taken from London to Ipswich. He left London on the night of 11 September 1822, keeping the box containing the notes with him inside the coach. He acted with his customary caution and only left his seat on two occasions. Once at Ingatestone to take a glass of wine and again at Colchester for further refreshment. Each time he held the door open and kept his face towards the inside of the coach. He was convinced he had not lost sight of his treasure for more than a minute.9
There were three other passengers travelling inside, who all acted as complete strangers to each other. Two of them left the coach at Colchester, but the third remained aboard engaging Thomas in conversation all the way to Ipswich. It was not until they came to unlock the padlock that the robbery was discovered. To their horror it was found that the padlock staple had been wrenched off the box and carefully replaced to avoid any suspicion that it had been tampered with during the transit of the box which was now empty.
Piecing the crime together it would seem that Thomas's travelling companions were working together. One of them must have alighted with the clerk at Ingatestone and engaged his attention long enough for his accomplices to break open the box. Two of the thieves then left the coach with their loot at Colchester while the third made sure that the clerk did not discover his loss until his journey's end, by which time his accomplices had got clean away.
The thieves were never caught, in spite of the reward of £5,000 offered on October 5th for the conviction of the thieves and the recovery of the property. The bankers however, by an astute move, minimised their loss which originally amounted to £31,199. They circulated a new issue of notes printed in red ink and advised the public to reject any notes printed in black, which were withdrawn. They also offered to pay £100 for the discovery and conviction of any person circulating stolen notes, knowing them to have been stolen.9
The Ipswich Journal on June 2 1838 recorded: "died the 18th inst at Needham Market in his 84th year Mr Thomas Colchester, for upwards of 60 years the confidential clerk in the bank of Messrs. Alexander."2
+G9 viii. Benjamin COLCHESTER.
+G10 ix. Edward COLCHESTER.
+G11 x. Ann COLCHESTER.