Hartley v Ponsonby [1857] 26 LJ QB 322 is a leading judgment on the subject of consideration in English contract law.
The judgment constituted an amendment to the precedent set by Stilk v Myrick[1] that allowed contractual duties to be considered valid consideration for a future contract if the duties had changed to the extent that the original contract is considered discharged.
After docking, seventeen of the thirty-six man crew deserted, and only six of the remaining men were competent seamen.
When the ship arrived at the home port, Ponsonby refused to pay the crewmen the extra wages he had promised.
[2] Lord Campbell CJ decided that although Stilk v Myrick [1809] EWHC KB J58 said that sailors were not entitled to additional pay for fulfilling a duty already required by an existing contract, they were in this case.