CHRONOLOGY, THIRTEENTH TO FIFTEENTH CENTURIES—STURBRIDGE.
1278. The Commissioners of Edward I. (already referred to) returned upon
inquest that King John had granted this Fair for the benefit of the
Hospital for Lepers which stood there. “To the said Hospital belongs a
certain Fair, held at the Feast of the raising and exaltation of the
Cross, which continues to this eve of Holy Cross, within the meadow
belonging to the said Hospital, which Fair our sovereign Lord King
John, the predecessor of our present Lord the King, granted to the said
Hospital, for the use and subsistence of the Lepers dwelling therein.”
1351. A writ was on 3rd Oct. directed to the Sheriff of Cambridgeshire
requiring him to convey to the Keeper of the King’s Wardrobe in the Tower
of London, thirty-seven strait cloths, and one cloth of colour, lately
seized in the Fair of Steresbrigge to the King’s use, by his deputy
Alnager, as not being of the assize and which were then in the custody of
the Mayor of Cambridge.
1376. This year the Corporation of Cambridge made an Ordinance,
prohibiting any burgess to take Sturbridge Chapel to farm, except to
the use of the mayor and bailiffs, or to keep market there, under the
penalty of 10 marks, or to make any booth there, or let any place for
the building of a booth, under the penalty of 10s.; and any burgesses
convicted of a breach of this Ordinance before the twenty-four [members
of the Common Council] was to be deprived of his freedom at their
discretion.
1382. The King being informed that many false weights and measures had
been theretofore used in Steresbrigge Fair, to the deception of his
subjects resorting thereto, issued a Writ on 3rd Sept. requiring the
Chancellor of the University to be vigilant in exercising in that fair
the powers conferred on him by the late Charter [1381] respecting weights
and measures.
Two years later a dispute arose between the Corporation and the
University regarding the exercise of this right. The King confirmed the
privilege of the University.
1395. Richard II. made order that the sheriff was to apprehend all
persons who broke the peace in Bernwell Fair, whether scholars or
townsmen.
1397. On Hoch Tuesday the commonalty of Cambridge made Ordinances to the
following effect: ...
ii. That all burgesses having any booths at the Fair of Sterebrigge, and
who should let them to farm to any outcomers or foreigners for certain
sum agreed upon between them, should pay to the mayor and bailiffs the
third part of the sum for which the same should be so let.
iii. That no freeman should occupy two booths of one art.
1403. The Corporate Ordinances made by Cambridge this year contain
(_inter alia_) the following:
_Item_ ... Every man burgess of the town of Cambridge, may freely
have one booth in the fair of Stirbridge, without rendering any thing
therefore to the mayor and bailiffs for the time being, whether he occupy
it or let it to farm. And that no burgess have in the fair aforesaid more
than one booth, unless he render therefore to the mayor and bailiffs for
the time being, toll and custom as others do who are not burgesses.
_Item._ It is ordained on the same day, that if any bailiff or other
burgess of the town aforesaid, in future, lease or lend to any Citizens
of London, the place for the booth called the Tolbooth, in the fair
aforesaid, that the bailiffs pay to the commonalty of the Town of
Cambridge £10, and the burgesses 100s. for every default, namely _tociens
quociens_, to lose their freedom.
_Item._ The same day it is ordained that no burgess of the town aforesaid
prosecute against any one by writ or plaint, before the Chancellor nor
elsewhere, for any contract which can be determined before the mayor
and bailiffs [in the Piepowder Court?] nor summon a defendant to the
Chancellor, &c., under the pain of every one &c. 40_s._ to be paid to
the commonalty of the town aforesaid, and the loss of his freedom (see
1427-8).
_Item._ The same day it is ordained, that no serjeant of the town
aforesaid for the future shall be attorney or of counsel, _with any
foreigner, against any burgess of the same town_, in the Court of the
Town aforesaid, under the pain of 40_d._, to be paid to the commonalty of
the town aforesaid, _tociens quociens_. See 1575.
1405. The Corporation of Cambridge enacted the following Ordinances:
Be it remembered, that on the day of election of mayor and bailiffs for
the town of Cambridge in the 6th year of the reign of Henry IV., it is
ordained that every burgess within the town aforesaid having a booth or
booths in the fair of Sterbrige, may well and lawfully give, sell and
surrender the said booth to the use of any other burgess of the same
town, before the Mayor and one of the Aldermen of the same town, in the
Court there holden on every Tuesday in the year, and on every Monday in
the Court of the Liberty: Provided always that the said booth or booths
be surrendered freely, quietly and wholly, without condition, annexed or
expressed, for him and his, according to the custom of the borough. And
this under the pain or forfeiture of the same booths to the burgesses of
the town aforesaid.
1411. On 15 Nov. John Arondell, custos of the free chapel of St. Mary
Magdalene, otherwise called Sturbridge chapel near Barnwell, exhibited
his bill in the Exchequer against John Essex, sadler, John Warwyk,
skinner, John Chaucer and William Bush, late bailiffs, then present in
Court on their account. In this bill plaintiff averred that he and his
predecessors, had immemorially had stallage of all persons merchandising
upon the Chapel-yard, parcel of his chapel, where part of the fair of
Sturbridge was accustomed to be held, and where merchants were accustomed
to erect their shops during the fair-time. That one Thomas Spryggy
merchant and Clothier, and other merchants to the number of 20, would
have made their shops there at the fair holden at Sturbridge on Monday
the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross then preceding, and would
have paid the stallage 6_s._ 8_d._ each but that the late bailiffs
unjustly and by colour of their office would not permit the merchants
to build their shops in the Chapel-yard by which he lost his stallage
amounting to 10 marks, to the disherison of the chapel, and to his damage
of £10. The defendants by their plea, after protesting that the chapel
was founded within the time of memory and that the bailiffs of Cambridge
were seized of stallage of merchandize brought to the fair, denied that
the custos or his predecessors were seized of such stallage. On this plea
issue was joined, and a verdict returned in favor of the custos whose
damages were assessed at 5 marks with £10 costs. The proceedings in this
cause were exemplified by letters under the Exchequer seal, tested by
John Cokayn Chief Baron, on the 4th March 1412-13.
1419. At this time there was a suit pending before the King’s Council
between the Chancellor and Scholars of the University, and the mayor,
aldermen and citizens of London, each of whom claimed the Custody of
Assize and assay of Bread, wine and beer, and the supervision of the
measures and weights of the citizens of London coming to Sturbridge fair.
On the 14th July the King (Henry V.) directed letters patent to sir Wm.
Asenhull, knt. sheriff of the County, commanding him to exercise the
beforementioned custody and supervision over the citizens of London in
the fair of Sturbridge, till the matter was decided, and requiring the
litigating parties to assist the Sheriff.
From the accounts of the Priories of Maxtoke (Warwickshire) and of
Bicester (Oxon) during the reign of Henry VI. it is seen that the monks
laid in yearly stores of various common necessaries, at this fair—distant
at least one hundred miles from either monastery. Wharton (“Hist. of
English Poetry”) commenting on this fact says: “It may seem surprising
that their own neighbourhood, including the Cities of Oxford and
Coventry could not supply them with commodities neither rare nor costly,
which they thus fetched at a considerable expense of carriage.” But he
remembers that it was a rubric in some of the monastic rules _De Euntibus
ad Nundinas_.
1423. In the parliament of Henry VI., this year, the following petition
was presented:
Prien the wise and worthi Communes, that for as muchell as in the Citee
of London, and in the Suburbes ther of, diverses persones occupying the
craft of Brauderie, maken divers werkes of Brauderie of unsuffisaunt
stuff, and unduely wrought, as well upon Velowet, and Cloth of Gold, as
upon all other Clothes of Silk wrought with Gold or Silver of Cipre, and
Gold of Luk, or Spaynyssh laton togedre, and swich warkes, so untrewely
made by swiche persones aforesaid, dredyng the serche of the wardens of
Brauderie in the said Citee of London, kepen and senden unto the fayres
of Steresbrugg, Ely, Oxenford and Salesbury, and ther thei outre hem,
to greet deseit of our soverain Lord the Kyng, and al his peple. That
it like oure soverain Lord the Kyng, wyth his Lordes spirituell and
Temporell, in this present Parlement, to ordeyne by statute, that all
the werk of Brauderie so undwely made as above is declared, be forfait
to oure soverain Lord the Kyng. And that the Wardeins of Brauderes of
the said Citee of London, for that tyme beyng may, by auctorite of this
present parlement, have warant by patent to make serche of all werk of
Braderie put to selle at the said faires of Steresbrugg, Ely, Oxenford
and Salesbury, and thoo werkes of Brouderie there founden unsuffisant, to
forfaite and arreste to the use of our soverain Lord the Kyng, as ofte
tymes as such werk be founde.
To which answer was made:
Be it enacted that all works and stuff with gold and silver broidery of
Cyprus or Gold of Luke, or with laton of Spain, and sold to the deceit
of the subjects of the King, be forfeited to the King, or to the Lords
and to others having franchises of such forfeitures, in which franchise
such works be found. And that this enactment endure only until the next
parliament.
The valuable commodities sold at this fair are here in part indicated.
Same year the commonalty of Cambridge, on the Thursday after the Nativity
of the Virgin made an Ordinance to this effect:
That the bailiff of the Bridge should not take toll for carriage, nor
stall-pence nor custom, from the bridge, nor elsewhere (except in the
fair) for merchandise coming to the fair of Sterbrigg, from the vigil of
the nativity of the blessed Mary until the fair was ended.
1425. The accounts of Richard Parentyn prior of Burchester, in
Oxfordshire, and Richard Albon canon and bursar of that house, for the
year ending Michaelmas, contain several items which shew the varied and
extensive trade of Sturbridge fair about this time: For the expense of
Albon in going to and from Sterisbrugge fair for five days with three
horses to buy victuals &c. 12_s._ 6_d._ is charged. The following
articles are also stated to have been purchased here: “Three collars, one
basse [a rush collar for cart-horses] and three headstalls 5_s_ 10½_d_;”
“a bolt [long narrow piece] of red say [silk] for making a cope 4_s_
8_d_”; “Six estregbords [Eastern boards] viz Waynscots 2_s_ 3_d_”; “100
halfwax-fyche [dried fish?] 21_s._;” “324 lbs of Spanish iron, with the
portage of the same 18_s_ 5_d_”.
1459. Richard Andrewe, _alias_ Spycer, burgess of Cambridge by his will
dated 30 Aug. bequeathed to the mayor and bailiffs of that town 80 marks
to be kept in a chest there provided, and portions thereof lent on loans
from time to time in sums not exceeding 26_s._ 8_d._ To the keepers of
this Chest he gave, three booths and certain booth-ground in Sturbridge
Fair, and a house in St. Andrew’s parish abutting on Preachers’ lane,
the profits to be applied to the celebration of his anniversary in Great
St. Mary’s Church, to be distributed in various small charities there
specified. See Cooper’s “Annals,” i., p. 210.
1464. By 4th Edward IV. c. 8 power is given to the Wardens of the Company
of Horners to search for defective wares in London and twenty-four miles
round, also in the fairs of Sturbridge and Ely, and to seize defective
manufactures and bring the same before the Mayor of London or the Mayors
or Bailiffs of the aforesaid fairs, for the time being. In 1609 this act
was revived by 7 James I. c. 14, sec. 2. The act was repealed in 1856.
1487. The Corporation of London made an Ordinance prohibiting the
freemen of that City to go to any fair out of the City with any manner
of merchandise to sell or barter. This Ordinance was repealed by act of
parliament in the preamble of which it is recited that there “be many
fairs for the common Weal of your said liege people, as at Salisbury,
Bristol, Oxenford, Cambridge &c.” If this order of enumeration had any
reference to the relative importance of the fairs (which I suspect it had
not) it puts this fair only fourth. This act has already been set out in
detail in Chapter V.
This year Sir Wm. Littlebury alias Horn, citizen and salter, and also
Lord Mayor of London, gave 500 marks towards repairing the highways
between London and Cambridge. This was probably in view of benefiting
those attending the fairs.
1496. On 20th July Katherine Cooke widow of John Cooke some time mayor,
granted to the mayor, bailiffs, treasurers, and burgesses and their
successors, to the use of the Treasury of the Town of Cambridge, three
booths situate in the Soper’s lane, the Chepe, and the Petimercerye, in
Sterbrigge fair. To the intent that the Treasurers should perpetually
uphold yearly on the 25 Feby., a special dirge and mass in the parish
Church of St. Mary the Virgin next the market for the souls of John Cooke
and William Colles, and Katherine, Joan, and Lucy their wives, and pay to
the bell-man for going about the town for the said souls 3_d_; with other
small bequests to the poor &c. Cooper’s “Annals,” i., p. 246.
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