In 1901, James Williamson made "Stop Thief!", which was one of the earliest chase films and inaugurated a popular genre of such films in the early history of film. It was a rather dramatic, crime film. The flip side was the comedic chase, which Williamson subsequently made a few of. The comedic chase probably first appeared in the Edison Company's "Chinese Laundry Scene" (1895), which was based on a vaudeville act. This film, James Williamson's "Our New Errand Boy" is a comedic chase film, at least near the end. The first part is a series of pranks performed by the terror of a child (played all too convincingly by the director's son) on unsuspecting citizens, who eventually end up chasing him, which only brings more glee to the brat.
This is humorous for its kind, and it's well made, as to be expected coming from one of the great pioneers of film editing, especially in regards to the continuity of direction of action across the screen, with such films as "Attack on a China Mission" (1900), "Stop Thief!" and "Fire!" (1901). Williamson also made some of the best early comedies; further evidence of this can be seen in "The Big Swallow" (1901) and "An Interesting Story" (1904), both of which also rely upon editing.
There's uncertainty as to whether this film, "Our New Errand Boy" is a remake of Pathé's "A Pastry Cook's Practical Jokes" (Les Farces de Toto Gâte-Sauce), or whether it's the other way around. Given that the Pathé film was released late in 1905 and that the studio has a long history of stealing from other studios (mostly Méliès), while Williamson has a history of innovation, including in the chase film, I'd wager that Williamson's film is the original.