CANTER, Joseph (Grimwade p.370)

[dognose]

JOSEPH CANTER

A very interesting case was brought before the sitting magistrate, on Wednesday, at Hatton Garden, by Joseph Canter, a working goldsmith and jeweller, against the Union Benefit Society, to which he had belonged for thirty-three years.–The claimant charged that his allowance, being one guinea per week, according to the articles of the said association, had been withheld from him since the 5th of June last, after he had received the same for twenty weeks, he being now at the age of 70 years, and afflicted with weakness of sight, which Dr. Clare attended to testify, to a degree wholly incapacitating him for the finer parts of the work.– The society is very rich and numerous, but principally composed of goldsmiths and jewellers, several of whom attended to give evidence of the nature of their trade, and to obtain the judgement of the magistrates upon the 8th clause of the articles, which specified that the party claiming the allowance must be, by blindness, or other visitation, wholly unable to work in the finer or coarser branches of the trade, or in any other kind of trade or business whatsoever. On the latter words of this clause, the doubt was lately started by the treasurer and steward of the society, not with hostile views towards the committee, but to settle the point.

The magistrates, Mr. Leach and Mr. Baker, after an acute and patient discussion of the merits of this case, ruled the exception not to apply to it, but that the words of the clause were to be restricted to the trade of goldsmiths and jewellers only, and not to be extended to any other trade or business.–Judgement for the claimant.

Source: The New Annual Register, or General Repository of History, Politics, and Literature - 1812