142:
138:
fresh produce and necessities, while fairs operated on a periodic cycle, and were almost always associated with a religious festival. Fairs were associated with high value goods and non-perishables such as farm tools, homewares, furniture, rugs and ceramics. Although a fair's primary purpose was trade, it typically included some elements of entertainment, such as dance, music or tournaments. By 1516, England had some 2,464 markets and 2,767 fairs while Wales had 138 markets and 166 fairs. Both fairs and markets were important centres of social life in medieval society.
261:
English merchants, particularly in critical areas such as the cloth trade. The control of the crown over trade in the towns, especially the emerging newer towns that lacked central civic government, was increasingly weaker, making chartered status less relevant as more trade occurred from private properties and took place all year around. Nonetheless, the great fairs remained of importance well into the 15th century, as illustrated by their role in exchanging money, regional commerce and in providing choice for individual consumers. The evolution of the
236:
93:
134:, preserved fish and cloth in bulk from the international merchants at the fairs, again bypassing the usual London merchants. Local nobles and churchmen could draw a considerable profit from hosting these events, and in turn the crown benefited from the payments given for the original charter. Over 2,200 charters were issued to markets and fairs by English kings between 1200 and 1270.
247:
Towards the end of the medieval period, the position of fairs began to decline. One important shift was that the major merchants, particularly in London, began to establish commercial primacy by the 14th century over the larger magnate customers; rather than the magnate buying from a chartered fair,
137:
Between the 12th and 15th centuries, the number of markets and fairs across
England burgeoned. Although the terms "fair" and "market" were often used synonymously, key differences distinguished them. Markets were held daily in the more populous towns and cities or weekly in rural districts, and sold
260:
during the 15th century, improved communications and the growth of a larger
England merchant class in the major cities, especially London, gradually eroded the value of the chartered fairs. Foreign merchants, upon whom the great chartered fairs had to some extent depended, were being crowded out by
172:
acquired royal charters to hold huge, extended events focusing on the international markets. The major fairs had formed a set sequence by the mid-13th century, with the
Stamford fair in Lent, St Ives at Easter, Boston in July, Winchester in September and Northampton in November. Secondary chartered
112:
In
England, fairs began to develop in the early Norman period, reaching their heyday in the 13th century. During the 12th century, many English towns acquired the right from the Crown to hold an annual fair, usually serving a regional or local customer base and lasting for two or three days. By the
197:
would grow to be the biggest fair in Europe towards the end of the medieval period. Many of these fairs would have been small in comparison to the largest
European international fairs, but still involved international contracts and advance selling on a significant scale.
121:
was increasing; London merchants were attempting to exert control over this process, acting as middlemen, but many of the
English producers and ports on the east coast attempted to use the chartered fair system to circumnavigate them. Simultaneously, wealthy
32:, with their heyday occurring during the 13th century. Originally, most charter fairs started as street markets but since the 19th century the trading aspect has been superseded by entertainment; many charter fairs are now the venue for
226:
would be established to govern the events and settle disputes; this would include establishing local law and order, imposing systems of weights and measures; monitoring legal contracts and other features of medieval trade.
221:
for a four-week event each year, turning the normally small town into "a major commercial emporium". Dozens of stalls would be established and hundreds of pounds of goods bought and sold. Special courts, called
84:, and many formed the basis for later chartered fairs. In an era in which communications and travel were difficult and often dangerous, local markets and fairs were central to commerce and trade.
269:
system in
England during the 19th century finally pushed the fair system into near extinction, although in recent years many have been revived as cultural, rather than primarily economic events.
958:
963:
141:
256:, the majority was being bought directly from the major merchants. The rise of international trading confederations such as the
586:
57:
549:
544:
336:
253:
249:
56:
on which there was an intermission of labour and pleadings. By the 7th century, a regular fair was being held at
570:
560:
555:
169:
948:
165:
101:
581:
953:
526:
325:
157:
456:
330:
223:
778:
Casson, M. and Lee, J., "The Origin and
Development of Markets: A Business History Perspective,"
591:
450:
411:
33:
214:
69:
576:
565:
520:
435:
257:
235:
206:
194:
97:
496:
473:
445:
391:
252:
show that the monarch bought 75% of his requirements from the great fairs; by the time of
240:
218:
178:
248:
they would buy from the merchant. As an example of this shift, the household accounts of
80:
to whom the church was dedicated. In
England, these early fairs were called a wake, or a
491:
421:
351:
320:
299:
279:
182:
942:
793:
The Growth of the
Medieval City: From Late Antiquity to the Early Fourteenth Century,
508:
430:
386:
25:
92:
514:
468:
441:
304:
77:
65:
49:
201:
These "great fairs" could be huge events; St Ives' Great Fair drew merchants from
809:
766:
532:
426:
356:
341:
190:
174:
61:
29:
366:
161:
73:
485:
479:
346:
126:
consumers in England began to use the new fairs as a way to buy goods like
538:
502:
361:
315:
289:
202:
416:
396:
371:
309:
294:
266:
123:
53:
37:
21:
634:
Making a Living in the Middle Ages: The People of Britain, 850 - 1520.
76:. Such fairs then continued annually, usually on the feast day of the
376:
284:
210:
186:
127:
108:
chapel in Cambridge, and became the largest medieval fair in Europe.
462:
262:
234:
140:
118:
105:
91:
613:
London in the Later Middle Ages: Government and People 1200-1500.
68:
religious occasion, particularly the anniversary dedication of a
381:
114:
113:
end of the century, however, international trade with Europe in
131:
620:
English Medieval Industries: Craftsmen, Techniques, Products.
806:
Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516,
763:
Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516,
104:
by royal charter in 1199, provided for the building of this
72:, tradesmen would bring and sell their wares, even in the
64:
kings. In later centuries across Europe, on any special
765:
The List and Index Society, no. 32, 2003, <Online:
606:
The New Cambridge Medieval History: c. 1198-c. 1300.
405:
Select list of chartered fairs in the United Kingdom
24:
is a street fair or market which was established by
655:England under Edward I and Edward II, 1259-1327.
492:St Lawrence Fair, Hurstpierpoint, West, Sussex
810:http://www.history.ac.uk/cmh/gaz/gazweb2.html
767:http://www.history.ac.uk/cmh/gaz/gazweb2.html
515:Loughborough § Loughborough Charter Fair
8:
625:Danziger, Danny and John Gillingham. (2003)
399:- traditional English day of fairs/festivals
820:Millar, F., "The World of the Golden Ass,"
618:Blair, John and Nigel Ramsay. (eds) (2001)
587:Thrapston Charter Fair, Northamptonshire
674:
476:- formerly Trinity Great Fair, Coventry
851:Dyer, p.209; Blair and Ramsay, p.xxiv.
808:Centre for Metropolitan History, 2000,
643:Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
608:Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
523:-location of Midsummer Fair, Cambridge
28:. Many charter fairs date back to the
193:filled the gaps in between, although
88:Rise of the chartered fair in England
7:
148:one of London's chartered fairs in
641:England in the Thirteenth century.
14:
959:Medieval charters and cartularies
312:traditional Scottish festival day
782:, Vol 85, Spring, 2011, pp 9–37.
648:England in the Late Middle Ages.
615:Oxford: Oxford University Press.
869:Danziger and Gillingham, p.65.
833:Danziger and Gillingham, p.65.
744:Danziger and Gillingham, p.65.
726:Danziger and Gillingham, p.65.
717:Danziger and Gillingham, p.65.
636:London: Yale University Press.
627:1215: The Year of Magna Carta.
517:, Loughborough, Leicestershire
1:
905:Myers, pp.161-4; Raban, p.50.
795:Oxon, Routledge, 2014, p. 182
735:Dyer, p.192; Harding, p.109.
662:Commerce and communications.
964:Economy of medieval England
604:Abulafia, David. (ed) 1999
497:Ickleton Priory Annual Fair
980:
632:Dyer, Christopher. (2009)
333:- A Dutch festival or fair
231:Decline of the fair system
932:Blair and Ramsay, p.xxiv.
822:Journal of Roman Studies,
611:Barron, Caroline. (2005)
337:List of Renaissance fairs
622:London: Hambledon Press.
173:fairs, such as those at
824:Vol. 71, 1981, pp. 63-7
780:Business History Review
556:Scarborough Fair (fair)
664:in Abulafia (ed) 1999.
653:Raban, Sandra. (2000)
650:London: Penguin Books.
639:Harding, Alan. (1997)
629:London: Coronet Books.
561:Stamford Mid Lent Fair
480:Haslemere Charter Fair
244:
153:
109:
102:King John I of England
660:Reyerson, Kathryn L.
527:Nottingham Goose Fair
503:Ilkeston Charter Fair
238:
144:
95:
646:Myers, A. R. (1978)
465:, North Lincolnshire
417:Baldock Charter Fair
326:History of marketing
224:courts of piepowders
582:Tewkesbury Mop Fair
457:Banagher Horse Fair
422:Bampton Fair, Devon
331:Kermesse (festival)
265:and eventually the
150:Microcosm of London
34:travelling funfairs
804:Samantha Letters,
657:Oxford: Blackwell.
592:Wickham Horse Fair
451:Beverley town fair
412:Appleby Horse Fair
245:
239:Southwark Fair by
154:
110:
52:times, fairs were
529:, Nottinghamshire
511:, Nottinghamshire
488:(travelling fair)
146:Bartholomew Fair,
60:under the French
971:
933:
930:
924:
921:
915:
912:
906:
903:
897:
894:
888:
885:
879:
876:
870:
867:
861:
858:
852:
849:
843:
840:
834:
831:
825:
818:
812:
802:
796:
791:Nicholas, D.M.,
789:
783:
776:
770:
760:
754:
751:
745:
742:
736:
733:
727:
724:
718:
715:
709:
706:
700:
697:
691:
688:
682:
679:
577:Summercourt fair
566:Stourbridge fair
533:Petersfield Fair
521:Midsummer Common
499:, Cambridgeshire
463:Brigg Horse fair
436:Bartholomew Fair
258:Hanseatic league
195:Stourbridge fair
100:, authorised by
98:Stourbridge fair
979:
978:
974:
973:
972:
970:
969:
968:
939:
938:
937:
936:
931:
927:
923:Dyer, pp319-20.
922:
918:
913:
909:
904:
900:
895:
891:
887:Harding, p.112.
886:
882:
877:
873:
868:
864:
860:Harding, p.110.
859:
855:
850:
846:
841:
837:
832:
828:
819:
815:
803:
799:
790:
786:
777:
773:
761:
757:
753:Reyerson, p.67.
752:
748:
743:
739:
734:
730:
725:
721:
716:
712:
707:
703:
699:Reyerson, p.67.
698:
694:
690:Harding, p.110.
689:
685:
681:Reyerson, p.67.
680:
676:
671:
601:
596:
474:Godiva Festival
446:Buckinghamshire
407:
402:
392:Town privileges
367:Parish festival
275:
241:William Hogarth
233:
179:Bury St Edmunds
90:
46:
12:
11:
5:
977:
975:
967:
966:
961:
956:
951:
941:
940:
935:
934:
925:
916:
907:
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889:
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862:
853:
844:
835:
826:
813:
797:
784:
771:
755:
746:
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719:
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683:
673:
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658:
651:
644:
637:
630:
623:
616:
609:
600:
597:
595:
594:
589:
584:
579:
574:
573:, Lincolnshire
568:
563:
558:
553:
547:
542:
536:
530:
524:
518:
512:
506:
500:
494:
489:
483:
477:
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460:
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448:
439:
433:
424:
419:
414:
408:
406:
403:
401:
400:
394:
389:
384:
379:
374:
369:
364:
359:
354:
352:Market (place)
349:
344:
339:
334:
328:
323:
318:
313:
307:
302:
300:Charter Stones
297:
292:
287:
282:
280:Artisanal food
276:
274:
271:
232:
229:
156:Towns such as
89:
86:
45:
42:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
976:
965:
962:
960:
957:
955:
952:
950:
949:Charter fairs
947:
946:
944:
929:
926:
920:
917:
914:Barron, p.78.
911:
908:
902:
899:
893:
890:
884:
881:
875:
872:
866:
863:
857:
854:
848:
845:
839:
836:
830:
827:
823:
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811:
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794:
788:
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768:
764:
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747:
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732:
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723:
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635:
631:
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621:
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603:
602:
598:
593:
590:
588:
585:
583:
580:
578:
575:
572:
569:
567:
564:
562:
559:
557:
554:
551:
550:St James Fair
548:
546:
545:Rothwell Fair
543:
540:
539:Petworth Fair
537:
534:
531:
528:
525:
522:
519:
516:
513:
510:
507:
504:
501:
498:
495:
493:
490:
487:
484:
481:
478:
475:
472:
470:
467:
464:
461:
458:
455:
452:
449:
447:
443:
440:
437:
434:
432:
431:Barnet Market
428:
425:
423:
420:
418:
415:
413:
410:
409:
404:
398:
395:
393:
390:
388:
387:Street vendor
385:
383:
380:
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375:
373:
370:
368:
365:
363:
360:
358:
355:
353:
350:
348:
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340:
338:
335:
332:
329:
327:
324:
322:
319:
317:
314:
311:
308:
306:
303:
301:
298:
296:
293:
291:
288:
286:
283:
281:
278:
277:
272:
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264:
259:
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220:
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208:
204:
199:
196:
192:
188:
184:
180:
176:
171:
167:
163:
159:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
133:
129:
125:
120:
116:
107:
103:
99:
94:
87:
85:
83:
79:
75:
71:
67:
63:
59:
55:
51:
43:
41:
39:
35:
31:
27:
26:Royal Charter
23:
19:
954:Annual fairs
928:
919:
910:
901:
896:Raban, p.50.
892:
883:
878:Dyer, p.209.
874:
865:
856:
847:
842:Dyer, p.209.
838:
829:
821:
816:
805:
800:
792:
787:
779:
774:
762:
758:
749:
740:
731:
722:
713:
708:Dyer, p.209.
704:
695:
686:
677:
661:
654:
647:
640:
633:
626:
619:
612:
605:
599:Bibliography
505:, Derbyshire
469:Glasgow Fair
442:Beaconsfield
382:Souk or souq
305:Costermonger
246:
200:
155:
149:
145:
136:
111:
81:
78:patron saint
47:
18:charter fair
17:
15:
535:, Hampshire
509:Lenton Fair
453:, Yorkshire
427:Barnet Fair
357:Market hall
342:Market town
191:Westminster
183:King's Lynn
175:Stourbridge
74:churchyards
62:Merovingian
58:Saint-Denis
30:Middle Ages
943:Categories
669:References
162:Winchester
571:Stow Fair
552:, Bristol
486:Hull Fair
459:, Ireland
429:also see
347:Marketing
254:Edward II
250:Henry III
243:, 1733–34
66:Christian
541:, Sussex
482:, Surrey
438:, London
362:Merchant
316:Festival
290:Carnival
273:See also
203:Flanders
166:Stamford
54:holidays
397:Whitsun
372:Peddler
310:Dudsday
295:Charter
267:railway
215:Germany
207:Brabant
170:St Ives
124:magnate
82:vigilia
44:Origins
38:showmen
36:run by
22:England
377:Retail
321:Hawker
285:Bazaar
219:France
211:Norway
187:Oxford
158:Boston
128:spices
70:church
263:canal
119:cloth
106:leper
50:Roman
769:>
217:and
189:and
168:and
152:1808
117:and
115:wool
96:The
132:wax
48:In
20:in
945::
444:,
213:,
209:,
205:,
185:,
181:,
177:,
164:,
160:,
130:,
40:.
16:A
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