Assaulting a Mistress

By Angela Gooch on August 30th, 2007

Source: Skegness Herald 7th July 1882

Susan Size, a domestic servant was charged at the Spilsby Petty Sessions an Monday with having committed an assault on her mistress, Miss Annie Stevens, a spinster lady, of Skegness, on the morning of the 26th June.
Miss Stevens said that on the 26th June at five o’clock in the morning she went to the defendant’s bedroom to awake her. The defendant refused to get up: she went again and as she (defendant) still refused to get up she pulled the clothes off the bed.
The defendant then jumped out of bed and struck her with her fist on the head four times.
She hurt her very much as she had recently undergone an operation on the head.
Miss Stevens told the defendant she should summon her, and sent her away.
On the following day she paid her her wages.
The Defendant denied the assault and said Miss Stevens when pulling off the bed clothes fell against the iron bedstead and thus hurt her head.
Neither party had any witness.
The Defendant was fined 11s, including costs.