On the Isle of Man, female servants were hired for a year at Lattermas, 28 March, and male servants at Michaelmas. Servants who ran off before their year was up were said to be galloping the white mare. Denham added that the old right of officials to force people into their service for a small fixed fee had fallen out of use.
Galloping the white mare
Printed under 28 March · Isle of Man
No longer kept
Said of servants who run away from their places before the expiration of their servitude. Female servants hire at Lattermas, 28th March, and males at Michaelmas, 29th September
From The Denham Tracts, vol. 1, p. 199. Read the original
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