At the Exeter City Sessions in March, 1831:
"Mary Harris, 21, was placed at the bar, charged that she, being a servant to Mr. Charles Presswell, tailor, of this city, did, on the 15th March last, feloniously steal a half-crown, his property. This was a short and clear case. The master having reason to suspect his servant of dishonest practices marked some money; among which was the half-crown in question; which was in his trousers pocket when he went to bed on the 14th, but had disappeared on the morning of the 15th, and was found on the prisoner by Mr. Street, a constable. Guilty; but recommended to the merciful consideration of the Court, from a belief that she was not a practised thief , and that these had been her first offences. Mr Presswell also said, that he understood the prisoner's father, who resided in the neighbourhood of Southmolton, bore a good character, and had a large family; and the prisoner came to his service with a good character from at tradesman in the city. Circumstances that appeared to lnduce the Court to deal leniently with her, and direct that she should be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for the space of 6 cal months."
Masters setting traps to test the honesty of their servants quite often came before the courts. The judges and juries seem not to have been in the least sensitive to the significance of such provocation. Mr. Presswell (what a brilliant name for a tailor!) had exposed his 21-year-old servant to the possibility of being sentenced ro death or perhaps transported for life but then he asked for leniency. Mary Harris, up to this rime, a young woman of good character, had been found by the constable to be carrying a marked half-crown. How did he search for it?
This was a short and clear case. A merciful judge sent Mary to prison with hard labour for six calendar months.
Source, The Exeter Flying Post, 7th April, 1831.
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