Manchester Society For Female Servants Bible Find

[History dude]

By a series of staggering circumstances, I was able to pick up a copy of a family Bible connected with my family, which though it does contain a written page of family history, the place where my ancestor got the bible is equally of interest.

It says on the front that it was presented as a reward from the Manchester Society For The Encouragement of Faithful Female Servants.

A pink label inside also confirms this saying it was presented to Susan Hague.

My ancestor was Susan Hague, who was the daughter of George and Hannah Hague of Sheffield born 7/03/1802. She went on to marry John Appleyard, who we covered in another thread on Sheffield History you might recall when a strange census entry had him coming from Ireland, when he came from Wakefield.

I Google this Manchester Society, but there wasn't much information on it, apart from it set up an office in Manchester around 1816. So any information on that would be helpful.

What I could make out was it wasn't the only one set up for this purpose. There was even one set up in New York, but that was both sexes. There's a Google book for that. From that it seems these "society's" were set up a bit like an employment agency for servants. You applied to be on the register, proving that you were a good servant, with proof of it, and if accepted paid a fee. Then the Society had subscribers who would employ the servants, they also paid a fee.

Bibles it seems were given out, but also in some money was also given to the servant. I'm not too clear how this worked?

It would be interesting to know if it had a Sheffield branch. It also tells us who she worked for. I think she left to get married to John. The handwriting is a bit hard to read, but it looks like "Worthington" and is it Mrs? And what looks like some place in Sheffield. If Worthington is from here, information on them would be most helpful.

Also was "satisfactory" an indication that she was just OK as a servant, or what?

[Guest suesi]

Hi

The signature does look like Mrs Worthington.

The address looks like Broken? Bank, Salford.

Looking in the 1824 Baines Directory, there is a Thos Worthington mfr living at 8 Broken Bank, Salford.

Is this where Sarah was working?

Sue

[History dude]

Hi suesi thanks for the information.

She's actually called Susan, but I don't know where she was working. I do know she was a Sheffield lass, so what she was doing in Manchester I haven't a clue.