David Maurigy was born in 1806 in France, there is little else available in the records to show his early life, he turns up in 1843 as the first operator of the Palatine Hotel, he married Sophia, the only daughter of Mr. J. Burrough of St Leonard's Shoreditch, in April 1844. There was a report in the Leeds Times of Saturday the 20 th April 1844; On Monday at the catholic chapel, Spanish Place, George Street, Portman Square and at St. Mary’s Church, Bryanston Square, London, by the rector, the Rev. Dr. Didbin, Sophia only daughter of the late Mr. Joseph Burrough of St. Leonard’s, Shoreditch, to Mr. David Maurigy, of the Palatine Hotel Manchester. 1851 found David living at Maurigy’s Hotel, 1, Regent Street London, married to Sophia and with twelve staff, Sophia was aged 25 in 1851 and David was 45. They had a daughter Sophia Feline Maurigy she was born at St. Georges Ramsgate and christened on 30th august 1854. The census records show that in 1871 at the age of 66, David was divorced from Sophia, with 13 servants. David had been rather interestingly elected as a member of the horticultural society in1859 At the date of his death on 7 th September 1877, he was living at 41 Albion Street London his estate amounted to £16000 (£2,000,000 equivalent 2021) on the 1st April 2019, 41 Albion Street a terraced, freehold property sold for £4,125,000. Maurigy’s Hotel hosted some of the most influential people of the day, and was publicised widely by newspaper articles, but it was not without some problems. This is an article I found in the morning post, I included it here as having nothing to do with Palatine Lodge, I just found it fascinating The Morning Post, Thursday November 17 th 1859, At Marlborough Street Magistrates Court, which was the second-oldest magistrates court in the UK, dating back to the 1800s. The court was unusual in that it housed a firearms range in the basement. Augustus Crowell Scott, a young gentlemanly-looking man, said to have been lately a Captain in the army, was charged before Mr. Bingham, on re-examination, with knowingly presenting a forged cheque and thereby defrauding Mr. David Maurigy hotel-keeper, Waterloo Place, Regent Street and also with uttering a forged cheque at Fenton’s Hotel, and thereby defrauding Mr Francis Henry Fenton, the proprietor. Mr George Booth, solicitor, Surrey Street, Strand, appeared for the prosecution. The evidence of the first examination was that the prisoner, after a week’s stay at Maurigy’s hotel, tendered a cheque on payment of a bill of £4. 18s (about £650 today) to John Smith the waiter, and thus clearing off his account took himself off. The cheque was paid into the Commercial Bank, Henrietta Street Covent Garden and a few days afterwards returned from Messer’s Beckett and Co., bankers Leeds, unpaid, as a forgery; upon which, information being given to the police first, as suspicions had been made known by Mr. Fenton to Inspector Holden of the C division, that officer, on the identification of the prisoner by Mr Maurigy’s waiter, directed his apprehension. Mr Emmerson Crawford, clerk and cashier to Messer’s Beckett and Co, of Leeds, on the present occasion proved that the cheque produced signed “John Charles Crowell” forwarded by the Commercial bank of London for payment, was directly returned to the Henrietta Street branch, no person of that name having any account at Messer’s Beckett’s bank, and said that he did not know the prisoner. On his apprehension the prisoner said it was all a mistake – that he had not put up at Maurigy’s hotel at all. William Burgess, head waiter at Fenton’s hotel. St. James’s street, said the prisoner had been staying at the hotel 13 days. On Saturday, the 5 th inst., about three in the afternoon, the prisoner in payment of his bill gave him the cheque produced for £10. 17s, (about £1300 today) signed “Augustus Scott” on Messer’s Few and Co., bankers, Wakefield. He asked the prisoner what it was, and he said for the amount of his account, telling him to give it to the governor, and that he then gave it into the hands of one of the waiters who he believed took it to the office. Mr. Francis Henry Fenton, hotel keeper, proved receiving the cheque in question, and after endorsing the same sending his clerk with it to Messer’s Herries and Farquhar, St. James’s Street. It had since been returned unpaid and marked “no effects”. The prisoner, on being cautioned in the usual form, declined putting any questions or recording his defence, on the ground that he had not consulted his legal adviser. Fully committed to the next Central Criminal Court sessions for trial on both cases. I didn’t find out what his punishment was…