The Runaway Mop

A few Warwickshire hiring fairs were held after Old Michaelmas Day and were known as runaway mops. They were meant for servants who had changed their minds about the places they had taken, and for those who had not been hired at all. One was held at Henley-in-Arden on 29 October, which was also St Luke’s fair, and Southam held three, on the Mondays following Old Michaelmas Day. Masters thought it risky to hire there, since a servant already hired elsewhere could land the new master in a lawsuit.