Master and Servant

George Jackson, farm servant Mr Joshua Appleyard, of Hill Top Conisbrough, was charged with leaving his master’s service on 10 January.

Mr G.H. Palmer appeared to prosecute.

Mr Appleyard said he had the defendant on the Saturday after the Doncaster Statutes, at £9 per year. The defendant remained with him about a month or six weeks. On Sunday the 10^th inst he told the defendant he was to go to church or chapel, which he liked, in the morning. Defendant said he should go at night. He then told defendant if he didn’t he would have to go without his dinner. Defendant did not go into the house to his dinner, neither did he go back to his work on the Monday. He did not see the defendant again until he saw him in Court. He had to engage a man in defendant’s place, which had cost him £2.

Defendant’s father said Mr Appleyard had broken his own agreement, as he promised to give his son a ‘fastening penny’ of 5 shillings, but he had only given him 2s 6d.

Defendant was sworn, and said he left the complainant service because he had to go without his dinner. He was told to go to church or chapel, and he went at night. When he entered Mr Appleyard service he was told that he would have to milk two cows occasionally, but he had had to milk regularly. He was also told he would have to clean one pair of boots on the Saturday, but he had had to clean one pair on the Saturday and one pair on Sunday morning.

In answer to the Bench, defendant said when he went into his dinner at 12 o’clock, the girl told him there was no dinner for him, so he went and stopped in a stable with the other man servant.

Mr Appleyard said, in answer to the Bench, that he did not give the girl instructions to tell the defendant that there was no dinner for him.

Lord Auckland said the Bench thought there was not sufficient justification for the defendant to leave his master’s service. The magistrates had no power to order him back to service, but if he was a sensible boy he would go back, and if he did not his master could summons him again.

He would be ordered to pay £2, which Mr Appleyard had had to pay for a man in his place, and 12s 6d costs.