An early railway historian[i] wrote that Servants wrote for shares in their masters' names and there is a story told of butler at the Wets-end giving notice to his mistress to quit, as he had realized several thousand pounds by shares. On the lady asking him how this was, "Why ma'am," he says, "I applies for the shares, and gives a reference here; I always gives myself the wery highest character for property and all that, and so I gets the shares and sells them." And thus we have the living realization and prototype of Jeames of Buckley-square renowned in song and story.

Reference:

Williams, Frederick S. Our Iron Roads Their History, Construction and Social Influences (London, Ingram Cooke and Co, 1852) pp46-47