Part 3

1233. Mandate to the bailiffs of Worcester that they do not permit the fair and drapery of Worcester to be held on the feast of the Nativity of Blessed Mary elsewhere than in that place in which it was held in the time of the Lord John, father of the Lord Henry, King.

_Cal. Rot. Lit. Claus._ (Rec. Com.), I. 555.

1297. On Thursday next before the feast of Pentecost, in the 25th year of the reign of King Edward, it was ordered in the presence of Sir John le Bretun, warden of the city of London, and certain of the aldermen, that by reason of the murders and strifes arising therefrom between persons known and unknown, the gathering together of thieves in the market, and of cutpurses and other misdoers against the peace of our lord the king, in a certain market which had been lately held after dinner in Soper Lane (on the site of Queen Street, Cheapside), and which was called _The Neue Faire_; the same should from thenceforth be abolished, and not again be held, on pain of losing the wares both bought and sold there; the same market having been established by strangers, foreigners and beggars, dwelling three or four leagues from London.

Riley, _Memorials of London_, 33.

1317. TO THE SHERIFF OF LINCOLN.

Order to cause proclamation to be made that all persons having fairs by charters of the king or of his progenitors or otherwise, shall cause the fairs to be held in the manner and form and on the days and times according to the tenor of the charters, or as they ought to do according to the title, to wit from time out of mind, and upon no other days and times, and to summon all persons claiming to have fairs to be before the king's council at Westminster.

_Cal. of Close_, 1317-18, 456.

1328. It is established that it shall be commanded to all the sheriffs of England and elsewhere, where need shall require, to cry and publish within liberties and without that all lords which have fairs, be it for yielding certain farm to the king for the same or otherwise, shall hold the same for the time that they ought to hold them and no longer: that is to say such as have them by the king's charter granted them, for the time limited by the said charters; and also they that have them without charter, for the time that they ought to hold them of right.

And that every lord at the beginning of his fair shall there do, cry and publish how long the fair shall endure, to the intent that merchants shall not be at the same fairs over the time so published, upon pain to be grievously punished before the king. Nor the said lords shall not hold them over the due time upon pain to seize the fairs into the king's hands, there to remain until they have made a fine to the king for the offence, after it be duly found that the lords held the same fairs longer than they ought, or that the merchants have sitten above the time so published.

_Statute, 2 Edward III._, cap. 15.

1393. The ordinance underwritten was publicly proclaimed in full market in Westchepe (Cheapside), and Cornhulle (Cornhill) in London, on Thursday the 20th day of March in the 16th year.

As from of old it has been the custom to hold in the city on every feastday two markets, called _Evechepynges_, one in Westchepe and the other on Cornhulle; that is to say the one in Westchepe between the corner of the lane called St. Lawrence Lane and a house called the Cage. So always that the said lane be not obstructed by the people of the said market, who are not to stand near to the shops there for the sale of divers wares that in such shops are wont to be sold. And that too by daylight only, between the first bell rung and the second, for the said markets ordained. And now on the 10th day of March ... William Staundone, the mayor, and the aldermen of the said city, have been given to understand that divers persons at night and by candlelight do sell in the common hostels there and in other places, in secret, divers wares that have been larcenously pilfered and some falsely wrought and some that are old as being new; and that other persons do there practise the sin of harlotry, under colour of the sale of their said wares, to the very great damage and scandal of good and honest folks of the said city.

Therefore the said mayor and aldermen by wise counsel and with good deliberation between them had, for the honour of the city and in order to put the said markets under good control and governance, have ordained that from henceforth on every such market night each of the said two bells shall be rung by the beadle of the ward where it is hung, one hour before sunset and then again half an hour after sunset. At which second ringing all the people shall depart from the market with their wares, on pain of forfeiture to the chamber of all such wares as shall, after the second bell rung, be found in the same; as to the which the beadle if he be acting, or officer by the chamber of the Guildhall thereunto assigned, shall have twopence in every shilling for his trouble in taking them. And that no one shall sell in common hostels any wares that in the said market are wont to be sold, or anywhere else within the said city or in the suburbs thereof, but only in their own shops and in the places and at the days and hours aforesaid, on pain of forfeiture to the use of the said chamber of all the wares that shall otherwise be sold.

Riley, _Memorials of London_, 532.

1320. Be it remembered that on the Monday next before the feast of St. Katherine the Virgin in the 14th year, the pork and beef of John Perer, John Esmar, and Reynald ate Watre, alleged to be foreign[10] butchers, were seized because that they against the custom of the city (of London), had exposed the said meat for sale at Les Stokkes (the Stocks Market on the site of the Mansion House), after curfew rung at St. Martin's-le-Grand: whereas it is enacted that no foreign butcher standing with his meat at the stalls aforesaid shall cut any meat after None rung at St. Paul's; and that as to all the meat which he has cut before None rung he is to expose the same for sale up to the hour of Vespers, and to sell it without keeping any back or carrying any away.

Riley, _Memorials of London_, 142.

[10] See previous footnote.

SUPERVISION OF SALES.

The quality of wares and the prices asked for them were supervised, and fair dealing was enforced, by officers. Sometimes, as at Oxford, these were specially appointed for the discharge of their duties. In London they were the masters or wardens of the crafts, otherwise the associations of members of one trade. When many of the crafts had developed into the livery companies the officials of the latter inherited the inspectorial functions of the wardens.

1393. Ordinance by the mayor and aldermen of London as to markets of West Cheap and Cornhill.

... That the masters or those assigned thereto of each trade of which the wares are brought to the said markets shall have power, together with the beadle of the ward or other officer thereto assigned, to survey, assay and stop all false and defective wares, in the markets aforesaid or elsewhere exposed for sale, and to present the same to the chamberlain to be there adjudged upon as to whether they are forfeitable or not; and further to arrest to the use of the said chamber all other things and wares in hostels or other places exposed for sale against the form.... Of the which forfeitures so by the said masters, or others thereto assigned, taken and adjudged as forfeited, the said masters or persons thereto assigned shall have one third part for their trouble.

Riley, _Memorials of London_, 532.

1556. _Of the clerks of the market of Oxford and of the fixing of prices._

The clerks of the market should be chosen of such as have experience of the prices which, for necessity or convenience, pertain to food and clothing, and of such as have knowledge, power and will faithfully and diligently to fill the office enjoined on them. Especially it behoves them to see that no fraud is committed as regards the measures and weights and quality of all foodstuffs and of all things which belong to clothing, and to observe the statutes and ordinances issued in this behoof; and since, for the most part, among these commodities, high prices greatly flourish, the clerk should summon to his aid the presidents of colleges and such others of the university as he knows to be fit for the business, and should consult with them as to what course can be taken to render the prices lower.

Oxford Hist. Soc., _Collectanea_, II. 104.

1468. The assize[11] of a tallowchandler is that he selleth salt, oatmeal, soap and other divers chaffer, that his weights and measures be assized[12] and sealed and true beam. For when he buyeth a pound of tallow for an halfpenny, he shall sell a pound of candle for a penny, that is a farthing for the wick and the wax and another farthing for the workmanship. And right as tallow higheth and loweth, so he for to sell his candle. And if his stuff be not good, or any he lack of his weight, or any he sell not after the price of tallow, he to be amerced, the first time twelvepence, the second time twentypence, the third time fortypence, and to forfeit all that is forfeitable; and he to be judged according to the form of statutes.

Printed in Strype's edition of Stow's _Cal. of Close_, Book V. 344.

[11] Regulation.

[12] According to regulation.

1327. John de Causton, citizen of London, has shown the king, by petition before him and his council, that John Dergayn, the late king's ulnager, in the eighth year of his reign, took five pieces of John's striped cloth of Gaunt (Ghent) outside his shop in Boston Fair, asserting that they were not of the assize, and that they were therefore forfeited to the late king, and delivered to Ralph de Stokes, then keeper of the king's wardrobe, and that it was afterward found, by enquiry made by the said king's order before the treasurer and barons of the Exchequer, that the cloth was of the assize and ought not thus to be forfeited, and that the cloth was worth 22-1/2 marks; ... and he has prayed the king to cause that sum to be allowed to him.

_Cal. of Close_, 1327-30, 86.

1366. On the 14th day of October ... John Edmond of Esthamme (East Ham), cornmonger, of the county of Essex, was brought before John Lovekyn, mayor, and the aldermen at the Guildhall, for that he had exposed for sale at Grascherche (Gracechurch) one quarter of oats in a sack, and had put a bushel of good oats at the mouth of the sack, all the rest therein being corn of worse quality and of no value, in deceit of the common people.

Being questioned as to which falsity, how he would acquit himself thereof, the same John did not gainsay the same. Therefore it was adjudged that he should have the punishment of the pillory, to stand upon the same for one hour of the day.

Riley, _Memorials of London_, 333.

1363. On the 9th day of the month of November ... William Cokke of Hees (Hayes) was taken because that on the same day he, the same William, carrying a sample of wheat in his hand, in the market within Newgate in London followed one William, servant of Robert de la Launde, goldsmith, who wanted to buy wheat, from sack to sack, and said that such wheat as that he would not be able to buy at a lower price than 21 pence; whereas on the same day and at that hour the same servant could have bought such wheat for 21 pence.

Upon which the same William Cokke being questioned, before the mayor, recorder, and certain of the aldermen, he acknowledged that he had done this to enhance the price of wheat, to the prejudice of all the people. It was therefore awarded by the said mayor and aldermen that the said William Cokke should have the punishment of the pillory.

Riley, _Memorials of London_, 314.

1362-90.

To Wye and to Wychestre I went to the faire, With many menere marchandise as my Maistre me hight,[13] Ne had the grace of guile ygo[14] amonge my ware, It had be unsolde this sevene yeare, so me god helpe!

_The Vision of Piers the Plowman_, Lines 205 _et seq._

[13] Told.

[14] Gone.

FOREIGN MERCHANTS.

1233. Mandate to the bailiffs of Peter de Dreux, count of Brittany, in the fair of St. Botolph, that every week, for so long as the fair lasts, they shall cause thrice to be proclaimed throughout that fair that no merchant bringing wine for sale to England, whether wine of Gascony, of Anjou, of Oblenc (Le Blanc on the Creuse), of Auxerre, or of other place, shall after this fair of St. Botolph bring to England any dolium of wine which contains less than it was wont to hold in the time of Henry, Richard and John, kings.

_Cal. of Close_, 1231-4, 223.

1235. THE KING TO HIS BAILIFFS OF YARMOUTH GREETING.

Know that we have granted by our charter for us and our heirs to our beloved citizens of Cologne that they may go freely to the fairs throughout our land, and buy and sell in the town of London and elsewhere, save for the liberty of our city of London.

_Cal. of Close_, 1234-7, 216.

1279. TO WILLIAM DE BRAYBOEF, KEEPER OF THE PRIORY OF WINCHESTER.

Order to send to the king the 310 marks which Reyner de Luk and his fellows, merchants of Lucca, lent to William at the last fair of St. Giles at Winchester.

_Cal. of Close_, 1272-9, 519.

1327. The bailiffs of Boston Fair ... have arrested wool and other goods of Taldus Valoris and his fellows, merchants of the society of the Bardi of Florence, in the said fair.

_Cal. of Close_, 1327-30, 221.

1276. TO JOHN BEK AND PHILIP DE WYLBY.

Order to restore upon this present occasion to the merchants of Douay in Flanders their goods arrested by John and Philip; for the king lately ordered John and Philip to arrest the wool and goods of merchants of Flanders in Boston Fair and at Lynn and Lincoln, yet it was not his intention that the goods of certain persons should be arrested, but that all goods and wares of Flemings should be arrested at one and the same time everywhere in the realm, by reason of the debt which the countess of Flanders owes to him and the merchants of the realm; and by reason of the neglect of the agreement between the king and countess; and the king did not then recollect his grant to the Flemish merchants that they might safely come into the realm and stay until the feast of St. Peter ad Vincula last past.

_Cal. of Close_, 1272-9, 308.

1293. TO THE STEWARD OF THE BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, LATE KEEPER OF THE FAIR OF WINCHESTER.

Order to cause to be delivered to Robert de Basing, citizen of London, two bales of cloth, which Robert lately bought from the merchants of St. Omer in the fair aforesaid, and which the steward caused to be arrested under pretext of the king's order to arrest the goods and wares of merchants of the power and lordship of the count d'Artois; as Robert de Tybetot has become surety before the king for the said Robert that he will answer to the king for the bales in the next parliament.

_Cal. of Close_, 1288-96, 302.

1328. TO THE SHERIFF OF HUNTINGDON.

Order not to arrest the goods of the men or merchants of Mechlin in Brabant, and not to molest them by virtue of any order to arrest goods of the men and merchants of the power of the duke of Brabant, in the fair of St. Ives or in his bailiwick, as the king learns that Mechlin belongs to the count of Hainault, Holland and Zeeland, and not to the duke of Brabant.

The like to the abbot of Ramsey's bailiff of the fair of St. Ives.

_Cal. of Close_, 1313-18, 408.

1364. TO THE BAILIFFS OF GREAT YARMOUTH AND THE COLLECTORS OF CUSTOMS THERE.

Order to suffer fishermen from Flanders and elsewhere over sea, who shall come within the realm for taking herring of the present season and bringing them to Yarmouth Fair, to take with them to their own parts or elsewhere, without let, at their will, all the money they shall receive for the price of herrings brought thither and sold at the said fair, after paying the customs due thereupon, ... although lately the king caused proclamation to be made throughout the realm forbidding any man, under pain of forfeiture, to take or cause to be taken out of the realm gold or silver in money or otherwise: as, willing to shew favour to the said fishermen, the king has given them license under his protection to come within the realm, and take at sea what herring they may, receive money in gold for what they shall sell, and take the same with them whither they will, as they shall deem for their best advantage.

_Cal. of Close_, 1364-8, 30.

MISCELLANEOUS POINTS OF INTEREST.

_Special Organisation of Citizens of York in Boston Fair._

1275. TO THE BAILIFFS OF BOSTON.

Order to permit the citizens of York to have, until otherwise ordered, their hanse[15] and gild merchant in Boston Fair, as they ought to have them there and in times past have been wont to have them.

_Cal. of Close_, 1272-9, 65.

[15] Another word for gild. _Cf._ the German Hanseatic League.

_Dress of London Women._

1281. It is provided and commanded that no woman of the city (of London) shall from henceforth go to market or in the king's highway, out of her house, with a hood furred with other than lambskin or rabbitskin, on pain of losing her hood to the use of the sheriffs; save only those ladies who wear furred capes, the hoods of which may have such linings as they may think proper. And this because that regratresses, nurses and other servants, and women of loose life, bedizen themselves and wear hoods furred with gros vair and minever, in guise of good ladies.

Riley, _Memorials of London_, 20.

_Unlawfulness of Bearing Arms at Fairs._

1328. It is shewn to the king on behalf of John Wynter of Norwich and Thomas Wynter of Norwich, merchants, that they lately went with their goods and wares to the abbot's fair at Reading, to trade there with the same and for no other purpose. And although they wore no armour save two single aketons, to wit one each, and that only by reason of the dangers of the road and not for the purpose of committing evil, the bailiffs nevertheless took and imprisoned them with their goods, and still detain them and their goods, by virtue of the ordinance of the late parliament at Northampton that no one shall go armed in fairs or markets or elsewhere, under pain of imprisonment and loss of their arms, wherefore they have prayed the king to provide a remedy. The king therefore orders the bailiffs to release the said John and Thomas and goods, upon their finding surety to have them before the king in three weeks from Michaelmas.

_Cal. of Close_, 1327-30, 314.

_Misadventure of some Shrewsbury Merchants travelling to a Fair._

1332. TO RICHARD EARL OF ARUNDEL.

Whereas the king lately took into his protection the burgesses of Shrewsbury so that they might be free to intend their affairs and to exercise their merchandise more safely, forbidding any to do them harm; and they have shewn to the king that whereas John de Weston, Richard Biget, William son of Roger de Wythiford, and John son of Yarvord le Walssh, their fellow burgesses, lately wished to go to the town of La Pole (Welshpool) in Wales to a fair there, to ply their merchandise, Yevan ap Griffith, the earl's yeoman, with other armed Welshmen of the earl, took without cause the said John, Richard, William and John, at Cause in the Welsh marches, without the earl's lordship, as they were going to La Pole, and took them with their horses and other goods and chattels, to the value of £200, and brought them to the earl's castle of Osewaldestre (Oswestry), where they imprisoned them and where they are still detained. And although the burgesses have repeatedly requested the earl to deliver the aforesaid men and to restore their said goods and chattels, the earl has neglected to do anything in the matter; wherefore the burgesses have besought the king to provide a remedy. The king therefore orders the earl to deliver from prison the said John, Richard, William and John without delay and to restore to them their horses, goods and chattels, or, if there be any reasonable cause why he should not do this, to be before the king and his council at the octaves of Holy Trinity to inform the king.

_Cal. of Close_, 1330-3, 572.

DEGENERATION OF FAIRS.

In the seventeenth century and afterwards, certain fairs, notably those in and near London, had come to be little more than places of amusement, more or less disreputable.

_Bartholomew Fair_ (in 1641).

Bartholomew Fair begins on the twenty-fourth day of _August_, and is then of so vast an extent that it is contained in no less than four several parishes, namely Christ Church, Great and Little Saint Bartholomews, and Saint Sepulchres. Hither resort people of all sorts, High and Low, Rich and Poor, from cities, towns and countries; and of all sects, Papists, Atheists, Anabaptists, and Brownists, and of all conditions, good and bad, virtuous and vicious, Knaves and fools, Rogues and Rascals.

And now that we may the better take an exact survey of the whole Fair, first let us enter into Christ Church cloisters, which are now hung so full of pictures that you would take that place, or rather mistake it, for Saint _Peters_ in _Rome_; only this is the difference, those there are set up for worship, these here for sale....

Let us now make a progress through Smithfield which is the heart of the Fair, where in my heart I think there are more motions in a day to be seen than are in a term in Westminster to be heard. But whilst you take notice of the several motions there, take this caution along with you, let one eye watch narrowly that no one's hand makes a motion in your pocket, which is the next way to move you to impatience.

The Fair is full of gold and silver-drawers. Just as Lent is to the Fishmonger so is Bartholomew Fair to the Pickpocket; it is his high harvest which is never bad but when his cart goes up Holborn.[16] ... Some of your cutpurses are in fee with cheating costermongers, who have a trick now and then to throw down a basket of refuse pears, which prove cloak-pears to those that shall lose their hats and cloaks in striving who shall gather fastest. They have many dainty baits to draw a bit, and if you be not vigilant you shall hardly escape their nets. Fine fowlers they are, for every finger of theirs is a lime twig with which they catch dotterels.[17] They are excellently well read in Physiognomy; for they will know how strong you are in the purse by looking in your face, and for more certainty thereof they will follow you close, and never leave you till you draw your purse, or they for you, which they'll be sure to have if you look not to it though they kiss Newgate for it.

[16] _I.e._, from Newgate prison to Tyburn gallows.

[17] Literally a bird said to mimic gestures, idiomatically a foolish person.