Peter Masterton (1841-1891)
Watchmaker
Peter Masterton was a watchmaker in Perth. In January 1880 he was convicted of pawning watches left for repair and sentenced to five years penal servitude. Within a year his wife Isabella died a pauper at the age of 38, leaving five children who were brought up by their grandparents. In the 1881 Census he was on a prison ship in Chatham, Kent, over 500 miles from his family. He died in 1891 in Edinburgh at the age of 49. An unfortunate life, blighted by the heavy price he paid for pawning watches entrusted to him to realise a little ready cash to help support his family of five through difficult times.
Genealogy
Peter Masterton was the third child and first son of John Masterton and Isabella Kerr. They belong to the large group of Mastertons from Forfar. A fuller genealogy of the extended family of Peter Masterton can be found at this link.
THEFT BY A WATCHMAKER
Peter Masterton, from the prison of Perth, pleaded guilty to ten different charges of theft, the articles specified in the libel being gold and silver watches received by him for repair, and the dates of the offences extending from September 1878 to October 1879. Mr Neil J Kennedy, advocate, stated on behalf of the prisoner, that he was a watchmaker in Perth, and had made use of the watches entrusted to him by various customers for repair, not so much in the way of direct appropriation, as of using them for the purpose of raising money by pawning them, with the intention of afterwards redeeming them; the distress which had afflicted the smaller class of tradesmen having brought him into difficulties. There was no previous conviction against him, and he had hitherto borne a good character. Sentence was delayed. In subsequently pronouncing sentence, his Lordship said he had considered the case and the prisoner's previous character, to see if there were any grounds on which he could mitigate the penalty, and he was sorry to say he saw none, and feared he was only doing justice in pronouncing sentence of five year's penal servitude. The prisoner was removed in a state of great agitation.
The Scotsman
20th January 1880