Exhibit No. 11 Somersetshire Society
The Report of Mr. Moore one of the Committee requested to inquire and report as to the conduct of Joseph Coles apprenticed

by the Society to Mr. George Adcock
Shortly after the last meeting of the Committee (at which I was requested to inquire into the conduct of this apprentice) I called at Mr. Adcocks House, and saw both Mr. and Mrs. Adcock who informed me that Joseph Coles had for a long time behaved in such a manner as to render it desirable for them to get rid of him on any terms, that subsequent to the time when he was in the hospital for the cure of the Venereal disease he had been in the habit of staying out all hours of the night sometimes all night and frequently whole days – that he had formed a connection with and had ultimately married their discharged Servant maid – that after they had become acquainted with the fact of such marriage Mr. Adcock had, in hopes it might induce him to become steady, allowed him to live out of the house and to enable him to do so had allowed him two thirds of his full earnings as a Journeyman, and which with Sobriety and industry
would have been sufficient; but that his idle and disipated habits were not at all altered by this indulgence and that some weeks he attended only two or three days in the week and in fact could never be depended upon – that his general habits when at his Masters were Sly, Sulky and in every respect untractable, and that from his general conduct and the evident inadequacy of his earnings to his support, and also from certain facts which had come to their knowledge, they considered their property by no means safe while he remained in their House. They also informed me that having learnt Mr. Jenkins of the Temple was deputed or had undertaken to inquire into the matter, and he not having called Mr. Adcock and also Mrs. A had called at his chambers several times, but without any satisfactory result and in fact that Mr. A. was so hurt that he had made up his mind not to take any more trouble on the subject.
They expressed great satisfaction at my having called

and it was evident to me that Mr. Adcock was a man of a mild and indulgent disposition, and an industrious Tradesman and likely to make an excellent master to a well disposed apprentice.
Whatever were my own impressions upon the above interview I conceived it my duty not wholly to rely on Mr. and Mrs. A. and I requested liberty to see one of their experienced workmen, on a subsequent day after I had digested what I had heard – accordingly five or six days afterwards I called again and had an interview (privately) with a Journeyman, a man who appeared upwards of 30 and a intelligent civil and welbehaved man and as far as I could form an opinion at a first interview not likely to be swayed by prejudice one way or the other – I learnt from him what the conduct of the apprentice was without acquainting him what I had learnt from his Master – and I was sorry to find that upon the most minute inquiry I could make, his account in every respect corresponded with that of Mr. and Mrs. A’s – he also stated that it was impossible to find a better Master than Mr. Adcock
When I had heard the complaint it was proper I should also hear the defence and I conceived the best way to hear that was to desire the boy to be sent to my Chambers, where he would be free to state what he thought fit uninfluenced by those feelings which might have operated upon him in his Masters House
A few days afterwards therefore I sent a note to Mr. Adcock to request that the boy might be sent to me, which was immediately complied with – I then informed him of what I had heard and desired him to state whether it was true or

not, and if true why he so conducted himself – he did not deny any one fact – and the only words he used in his defence were “My Master never speaks to me” he did not attempt to justify himself nor did he make a single charge against his Master or Mistress, and it was quite evident that all the charges aginst him were true – I therefore considered it my duty not only as one of the Committee but as a man to remonstrate with him on his best conduct and to advise him as to his future in the best manner I was able – and also to acquaint him that unless his future behaviour was unexeceptionable he would lose the countenance and consequently the assistance of this Society – I desired him to return make an apology to his Master and by his future conduct redeem his Character and told him that before I made my Report I would inquire whether he had so done
A few days after my interview with him I called at Mr. Adcocks and found that he had attended his work regularly for those few days; but that nothing further had passed except some sulky expression from the boy, that he had lost so much time in coming to me.
I called again at Mr. Adcock’s on Thursday last and inquired how he went on, when Mr. A. informed me that his conduct had since been worse than ever – that what work he does is done so bad it is useless, that he says his Master shall never get a shilling by him, and that he will do him all the mischief he can, besides which Mr. Adcock says he has three or four times found that the Lock on the Door where he keeps his Tinplates, has been picked, which he does not directly charge the apprentice with doing, but he suspects him.

John Moore
15th March 1819

Afterwards it was back to the M5 and back to Devon. On the way I stopped off at a service area to have an early tea (as I had forgotten to have any lunch). The M5 terminated at Exeter and I suddenly had a choice: do I take the left lane or the right; and the signage didn’t give much help. I chose left and luckily it was the right choice—it wasn’t long before I was back at the hotel.