Mexborough and Swinton Times December 7, 1912
A Conisbrough Errand Boy
An Interesting Case
Application for compensation was made by George Redfern, aged 13, the respondent been William Baker, of Holywell House Conisbrough, a fishmonger and greengrocer
Mr E W Clegg appeared for the applicant and Mr James Baddeley was for the respondent.
The novelty in the case, said Mr Clegg in open, was that the applicant was an errand boy and a schoolboy. In Whit week being on holiday, he accepted a situation as errand boy with the respondent, is wages being/–. At the end of the week he received 2/– the money, and 2/– in-kind. After a resume school he continued to act as respondents errand boy at dinner times and in the evening. Nothing was said about wages. The boy worked two or three days and deliver goods, and 5 June, as it was going round with respondents on delivering goods from the dray and returning from a house was told by the man in charge to hurry up and jump on the dray. The horse and dray in the meantime been started to save time. In jumping on the dray, however, the boy unfortunately fell on two wheels ran over his leg.
He was taken to the doctor at Maltby, who stitched up the warm, and the respondent son, Ernest, paid his fee 3/6. It was urged that been in school by the applicant was not entitled to compensation. The fact that he was a schoolboy working as an errand boy in his leisure time, said Mr Clegg, did not preclude him from the Act.
The applicant gave evidence here that Mr Clegg’s statement, said his leg was not well yet. The boy’s mother said that she was told by Doctor Forster that the boy had seriously injured the cartilage of the knee.
Mr Baddeley, for the respondent, said he admitted the applicant was employed in Whit week as a regular errand boy was away, but when the applicant went on the following Monday he was told by Ernest Baker, the respondent son, who manage the business, that he was not required. He begged, however, so hard to be allowed to go with the dray that he allowed him to go simply for a ride
Ernest Edward Baker bore out this statement. When the lad turned up on the Monday following Whit week he asked him why was not at school and if his father and mother knew he had gone there? He said they did, and he pleaded to go with the dray. He allowed him to go, but he did not deliver any parcels of caller houses for orders. Since the accident witness that sent him several things out of charity.
His Honour said that the case presented some difficulties. It was idle to say that as the boy was underage he could not be employed, and he found that in Whit week he was employed. He awarded applicant 2/6 a week from the date of the accident to the present time, to be continued subject to revision at any future date.