OTHER FAIRS OF FRANCE.
I have now to notice some of the other great fairs of France. And here
it has to be remarked that while the later sovereigns—certainly down to
Louis XV.—adopted the regulations already reviewed, for their model in
the government of fairs, yet that there were some necessary deviations,
according as time, place, and other circumstances demanded. The chief of
these deviations will be noted in the following summary, wherein I review
the provincial fairs first, and afterwards those in and around Paris.
Postlethwayt, in his “Dictionary of Trade,” from which some of the
preceding and following details are drawn, remarks, not with entire
clearness: “Though it be not essential to these meetings of traders
to have comedians, rope-dancers, and the like, yet there are few
considerable ones without enough of them; and, perhaps, is what greatly
contributes to the trade of them—the nobility and country gentry greatly
flocking to them, more for their diversion than what they buy there,
which might be had, perhaps, better and cheaper at home. It is well known
how the nobility of Languedoc flock to the fair of Beaucaire, and those
of Normandy to that of Guibray; but it is nothing in comparison to the
assembly of German princes and nobles at the three fairs of Leipzic, and
the two of Frankfort-on-the-Main.” He was writing in the first half of
the last century. Things are now much changed.
BEAUCAIRE (in Languedoc).—An important town, whose manufactures consist
of silks, red wines, taffetas, olive oil, and pottery. But its trade is
chiefly due to its great fair, held annually between 1st and 28th July,
the site extending from the Rhône to the base of the Castle Rock. This
fair was established in 1217 by Raymond VI., Count of Toulouse, and was
for many ages attended by merchants and manufacturers from all countries
in Europe, and even from Persia and Armenia. Arthur Young visited it in
1788, and records (“Travels in France”) that the business transacted at
it reached 10 million livres—£439,000. So late as 1833 it drew together
60,000 persons, and the amount of its transactions were stated to be 150
millions of francs—£6,000,000! This would appear to be an over-estimate.
I believe the fair now only lasts one week, namely from 22nd to 28th July
inclusive. It is a rule that all bills must be presented on the 27th, and
protested if necessary on 28th—last day of the fair. The trade in linen
and cloth is very large.
BESANÇON.—This ancient city, a great centre of warfare and of trade from
the days of the Cæsars, had once a fair of great celebrity. At a later
period it was chiefly notable for carrying on the business of exchange.
This business had been perfected at the fairs of Lyons, from whence it
passed here. On the first day of the fair the merchants of a certain
standing announced the terms on which they were willing to exchange with
different countries, and on the second day an authoritative declaration
was made of the fair terms of exchange with any foreign country. For
this purpose, with the constant fluctuations in all actual coinage, it
was necessary to have a unit which should be common to all lands, and
free from the possibility of depreciation. Hence everything was reckoned
by means of an imaginary unit—_scutus marcharum_, or money of account:
so that the form which the business took was not that of buying bills,
but of exchanging these fictitious coins, made realizable in one town,
for quantities of actual coinage of another country, according to the
authoritatively declared rate, which took account of the difficulty of
transport, and of various risks. A scutus marcharum was worth in Genoa
67⅓ soldi of the actual coinage of the place. The question to be settled
was what, at this time, shall be paid in Piacenza for a scutus marcharum
in Genoa? This was the fair rate of exchange, and the announcement of
it was intended to exclude the operations of private speculators (in
which it was not entirely successful), and to secure a division of
the advantage among each of the parties transacting business. _Vide_
Cunningham’s “English Industry and Commerce,” 1882, p. 278.
BORDEAUX.—This city has or had two fairs annually—one commencing on the
1st March, the other on the 15th October; they each continued fifteen
days. The October fair was generally the more considerable.
The chief commodities disposed of were wines and brandies, and it was no
unusual sight to see several hundreds of vessels beyond the usual average
number in the port, some of these being of unusually large tonnage.
The fairs had the same privileges with those of Champagne, Lyons, Paris,
and Poictou. The consular judges performed the office of conservators,
with the same jurisdiction as those of Lyons.
CAEN (Normandy).—This free fair was once very famous. It begins the
day after Low Sunday, and lasts fifteen days, of which the first eight
were designated the “great week,” the other portion the lesser, because
formerly the franchises lasted only the first eight; and because the
concourse of strangers was much greater during the early week of the fair.
The merchants dealt in merchandise of all kind, but woollen manufactures
were the great speciality. The shops in which the dealers expose their
goods here are designated “Lodges.” A considerable number of horses and
of cattle were brought to it from the provinces of Normandy. This fair
was regarded as next in importance to that of Guibray.
It seems that in 1433 there was an attempt to despoil this fair,
by an attack of 700 horsemen, of which I find the following brief
record:—“Whereupon they sent the Lord Ambrose de Lore, with vii. c.
horsemen, to robbe and spoyle the poore people, commynge to the faier, on
the daye of Sainct Michaell the Archangell, kepte in the Suberbes of the
toune of Caen.”—_Hall_, Hen. VI. ann. ii.
During the year several smaller and ordinary fairs are held for the sale
of horses, cattle, butter, and poultry.
DIEPPE.—This is a free fair of comparatively modern date, said to be the
last authorized in France, having been founded by letters patent in 1696.
It was first opened on 1st December that year. It continues for fifteen
days. All foreigners are at liberty freely to trade here, and goods
declared to be for the fair are not liable to seizure while the fair
lasts; nor were they liable to inspection by the wardens—a relaxation of
practice apparently not quite in the interest of the buyers.
Its franchises and privileges are, that all goods brought into the port
of Dieppe during the fair, and there sold or bartered, are exempt from
one moiety of duties inwards and outwards. And merchandise imported and
not sold during the fair may be carried out free of customs.
GUIBRAY (Lower Normandy).—A fair of very considerable importance, lasting
from 10th to 25th August, was held here. Arthur Young, of agricultural
fame, describes in his “Travels in France” (1788), a visit to it on 22nd
August, and records as follows: “At this fair of Guibray merchandise is
sold, they say, to the amount of six millions (£260,500) ... I found the
quantity of English goods considerable, hard and queen’s ware; cloth
and cottons. A doz. of common plain knives, 3 livres; and 4 livres for
a French imitation, but much worse.” It was a feature of this fair that
the resident gentry for long distances around came here to make their
purchases.
LYONS.—It has been supposed that the ancient fairs of this city were
founded on a special privilege granted by the Roman conquerors. They are
four in number—the first is that of the _Epiphany_, which always begins
in January, the Monday after the twelfth day; the second is _Easter_
fair, beginning on _St. Nisier’s_ day in April; the third in August,
which begins on _St. Dominick’s_ day in that month; and the fourth is the
fair of _All Saints_, beginning on St. Hubert’s day, in November. The
situation of this city, at the confluence of the Saône and the Rhône,
render it unrivalled for the facilities of water carriage through some of
the richest parts of France.
These fairs were of the highest mercantile repute, and at a very early
period bills of exchange were brought into requisition in the adjustment
of the accounts for merchandise purchased there. It seems also that bills
resulting from commercial dealings in many other parts of Europe were
made payable at the Lyons fairs.
Fixed days for payment followed each fair. The ceremonies attending these
days were as follows: The chief magistrate came to the lodge of the
Exchange, accompanied by his registrar and six syndics, viz., two French,
two Italian, and two Swiss or Germans; and there, after a short discourse
to the assistants, recommending probity in trade, and observance of the
laws, customs, and usages of the place, the laws, customs, and usages
were read _in extenso_; and the clerk drew up a process verbal of the
opening of the “payment.” The next day they met at the City-hall, and by
plurality of voices _settle the course of exchange for all cities with
which Lyons had any commercial correspondence_. This custom prevailed for
some centuries; and even when the strict regulations here described were
frequently departed from, the regulations were capable of being enforced
on appeal.
When bills were drawn to be paid at one of these appointed times at
Lyons, which had not then begun, the drawer said “pay this my first of
Exchange, &c., in the next Epiphany (or other) payment;” but if the
payment had already begun, the bill had to be drawn payable “in this
current or present payment of Epiphany” (or other term). The bills so
drawn were to be accepted in the first six days of the payment they were
made payable in; and the person on whom they were drawn was not obliged
to declare whether he would or not accept until the sixth day. But after
that day the bearer might protest them for non-acceptance, though he
might detain them during the whole time of that “payment,” to see whether
any one offered to discharge them. The protest, however, was immediately
forwarded to the remitters; and if any one paid a bill in the time of
the payment before the sixth day (or that being a feast day, the day
following) it was at his own risk.
The bearers of bills not satisfied by the last day of any “payment” were
to protest them on the third day after the payment finished, otherwise
they lost their right as against the drawers; but if this were done in
form, and in the time prescribed, the holder might afterwards refuse
payment from any one that offered it, and take his reimbursement upon the
drawer, alike for principal and charges. And the said holders of bills
were obliged to take their reimbursement on the drawers or indorsers in
a time limited, viz., for all bills drawn from any part of _France_, in
two months; those which were from _Italy_, _Switzerland_, _Germany_,
_Holland_, _Flanders_, and _England_, in three months; and those which
were drawn from _Spain_, _Portugal_, _Poland_, _Sweden_, and _Denmark_,
in six months, to be counted from the date of the protest; or in default
thereof they lost their rights against the drawers and indorsers. See
_Besançon_.
The general reader must pardon these details, which are of commercial
significance. It was customary at an early period to make the bills drawn
from Amsterdam and elsewhere on the “payment” of Lyons, in “golden crowns
of the sun;” but when this specie became decried in France, the usage of
exchange came to be to draw for the payment of Lyons (as was practised in
France generally), viz., in crowns of sixty sous, equal to the present
English half-crown. These practices may be compared with the usages of
Nuremburg, Frankfort, and Leipzig fairs.
The franchises of the fairs of Lyons in the early half of the last
century had this special feature: that all goods intended for foreign
countries, sent out of this city during the fifteen days of either fair,
paid no customs outwards, provided the bales and parcels were marked with
the city arms, and had certificates of franchise properly made out. To
enjoy this privilege the merchandise had to be sent out of the kingdom
before the first day of the following fair, unless special permission for
delay had been obtained.
There is reason to believe that a considerable trade in books was
transacted at these fairs during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
These fairs have a great history, which cannot be followed up here, and
there is the less need to make the attempt because the inquiry is already
in competent hands, those of Mr. Chancellor Christie, of Darley House,
Matlock. The authorities which may be consulted are the following:—
1. “Ordonnances et priviléges des Foires de Lyon, et leur antiquité avec
celle de Brie et Champagne et la confirmation d’ialles par sept roys de
France.” Printed at Lyons in 1560, and subsequently.
2. “Cat. de la Bib. Lyonnaise a M. Costa redige par Aime Vingtrisme.”
(Lyon, Brun, 1853.) Pp. 458-61. Nos. 10,353-10,415.
3. A Memoir addressed to Charles VIII. in 1485, and presented by M.
Pericaud ainé in his privately printed “Notes et documents pour servir a
l’histoire de Lyon, 1483-1546” (Lyons, 1840).
4. In the “Proces de Bandiction de la Maison Neuve Accusé d’heresia à
Lyon 1534,” printed by Fick, Geneva, in 1873.
MONTRICHARD (in Touraine).—This fair was famous for the great concourse
of traders to it from all the provinces of the kingdom; but particularly
for the great trade in woollen stuffs, amounting on an average to some
12,000 pieces at each fair.
RHEIMS.—This city had formerly four fairs; it has now two only, May and
October—the great fair on St. Remigius’ day. These were all free fairs,
two of the original fairs lasting eight days, the others but three days.
Their franchises were mainly the same as those of Champagne. A very large
commerce was in early times transacted at these.
ROUEN.—This ancient trading city had two fairs; the one called Candlemas
fair, beginning on the 3rd February, and the other called Pentecost
fair, opening the day after the festival. They each continued fifteen
days, and were much frequented by foreigners, particularly the Dutch,
British (English and Scotch), and those of other northern nations;
its advantageous position for trade, by reason of facilities of water
carriage, offering great inducements to the concourse of foreign traders.
Goods sold and exchanged at these fairs, and carried out of the city
during the fifteen days, paid but half dues outwards.
TOULON.—This town—the Plymouth of France—has a fair, not designated
“free,” which commences on 3rd November, and continues “fifteen working
days.” Its franchises, granted in 1708, were that no goods while it lasts
are subject to any duties; and all traders, alike French and foreigners,
enjoy the franchises and liberties granted to the fairs of Lyons, Brie,
Champagne, Rouen, and other cities. These underwent some modifications
in the following year, at the instance of the farmers-general of the
revenues of France.
TROYES.—This town (one of the cities in Champagne) was noted in the
middle ages for its great fairs, of which there were two—one being fixed
to the Monday after the Second Sunday in Lent; the other commencing on
1st September. Philip of Valois granted the privileges of these fairs.
A lasting record of the importance of the dealings thereat is handed
down to us in the form of “Troy (Troyes) weight,” used in connection with
dealings in the precious metals. It is said that this system of weights
was brought from Cairo by the crusaders, and was first and permanently
adopted as the standard of weight in the dealings of the fairs of Troyes.
Hence it may be inferred that the trading was largely in the precious
metals, in spices, and in drugs.[9]
Goods sold at these fairs were exempted from all customs outwards, local
dues excepted, under certain restrictions.
It is recorded especially of these fairs, that they had a staff of
notaries for the attestation of bargains, courts of justice, police
officers, sergeants for the execution of the market judges’ decrees,
and visitors—the _prud’hommes_—whose duty it was to examine the quality
of goods exposed for sale, and to confiscate those found unfit for
consumption. The confiscation required the consent of five or six
representatives of the merchant community at the fair.
Sismondi, in his “History of the Italian Republics,” writing of the
events of the thirteenth century, says:
The Tuscan and Lombard merchants however trafficked in the barbarous
regions of the West, to carry there the produce of their industry.
Attracted by the franchises of the Fairs of _Champagne_ and of _Lyons_,
they went thither, as well to barter their goods _as to lend their
capital at interest to the nobles, habitually loaded with debt_; though
at the risk of finding themselves suddenly arrested, their wealth
confiscated by order of the King of France, and their lives too sometimes
endangered by sanctioned robbers, under the pretext of repressing usury.
Industry, the employment of a superabundant capital, the application of
mechanism and science to the production of wealth, secured the Italians
a sort of monopoly through Europe: they alone offered for sale what all
the rich desired to buy; and notwithstanding the various oppressions of
the barbarian kings, notwithstanding the losses occasioned by their own
oft-repeated revolutions, their wealth was rapidly renewed.
_Inspectors of Fairs._—In the course of the preceding notices of
the chief fairs of France various references have been made to the
inspection of goods, as forming part of the regulations of such fairs.
These inspectors were appointed by the state. It was their business to
attend at all fairs where there was any considerable trade in woollen
and other textile fabrics; to inspect and mark them; and if deficient
or not conformable to the authorized regulations, to seize them. Such
examination it is obvious required to be made with great circumspection
and reserve, and at hours suited to the convenience alike of buyers and
sellers. The inspectors were usually accompanied, in the performance
of their duties, by the judge of the police of manufactures, and the
wardens and jurats of trades in the respective places.
Some free fairs had their own judges and particular jurisdiction.
An examination of M. Bottin’s “View of the Fairs of France” goes to
show that they took place mostly on the frontiers of the kingdom, or on
the marches of ancient provinces; or at the foot of high mountains, or
at the beginning or end of the snow season, which for months shuts up
the inhabitants in their valleys; or in the neighbourhood of the famous
cathedrals or churches frequented by flocks of pilgrims; or in the middle
of rich pasture tracks. But there are some marked exceptions to these
rules.
The establishment and abolition of fairs—with the exception of cattle
markets and the markets of the metropolis—are now generally left to the
discretion of the departmental prefects.
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