Enjoying little freedom of movement, the worker was obliged to keep his or her clothes in the master’s house and not leave the house without special permission.The police authorities were bound to capture workers who tried to escape from their employers.The master was allowed to punish his workers by “moderate domestic chastisement”.180 According to the Code of 1734 as well as the new Penal Code of 1864, a master who assaulted his servants should be punished according to a reduced scale, while the servant’s offences against the master were regarded as most aggravating circumstances.181 If the servant was to leave for another employment, the master had the duty - and the forcible means - to issue a written opinion on his or her skills, character and readiness to work.The servant was bound to follow the master if he moved to another part of the country and the master’s prerogatives were transferred to the disposition of the heirs or the new owner if the master died or sold his real estate. A servant was allowed to move to another parish only after presenting a testimonial to the local vicar.The testimonial limited the servant’s freedom of contract, especially on termination of the contract, since anyone who broke the relationship against the master’s will risked a disparaging opinion as a farewell token. The servant’s open-ended subordination corresponded to the master’s diffuse duty to guarantee food, shelter, lodging, health care, vocational training and wholesome upbringing, including the elements of the correct Lutheran faith. Old workers were granted to remain with their masters, provided that they had faithfully been in their houses since the age of 30.182 c o n t i n u i t y a n d c o n t r ac t 87 180 In 1858 this right was limited to chastisement of male servants under the age of 18 and females under 16. 181 The Penal Code of 1864, chapter 14 sections 16, 35-37, chapter 16 section12; Nelson 1988, pp. 78-79, 83. 182 SFS 1833:43, in particular sections 5-17, 45-47, 52;Winroth 1878, p. 196; Helgesson 1978;Taussi Sjöberg 1981, 41-42; Nygren 1981, pp. 108-111.
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