I haue heretofore said sufficientlie of our faires, in the chapter of
fairs and markets; and now to performe my promise there made, I set
downe here so manie of our faires as I haue found out by mine owne
obseruation, and helpe of others in this behalfe. Certes it is
impossible for me to come by all, sith there is almost no towne in
England, but hath one or more such marts holden yearelie in the same,
although some of them (I must needs confesse) be scarse comparable to
Lowse faire, and little else bought or sold in them more than good
drinke, pies, and some pedlerie trash: wherefore it were no losse if
diuerse of them were abolished. Neither doo I see wherevnto this
number of paltrie fairs tendeth, so much as to the corruption of
youth, who (all other businesse set apart) must néeds repaire vnto
them, whereby they often spend not onelie the weeke daies, but also
the Lords sabbaoth in great vanitie and riot. But such hath béene the
iniquitie of ancient times. God grant therefore that ignorance being
now abolished, and a further insight into things growne into the minds
of magistrates, these old errors may be considered of, and so farre
reformed, as that thereby neither God may be dishonored, nor the
common wealth of our countrie anie thing diminished. In the meane
time, take this table here insuing in stead of a calender of the
greatest, sith that I cannot, or at the least wise care not to come by
the names of the lesse, whose knowledge cannot be so profitable to
them that be farre off, as they are oft preiudiciall to such as dwell
néere hand to the places where they be holden and kept, by pilferers
that resort vnto the same.
_Faires in Ianuarie._
The sixt day being Twelfe day at Salisburie, the fiue and twentith
being saint Paules day, at Bristow, at Grauesend, at Churchingford, at
Northalerton in Yorkeshire, where is kept a faire euerie wednesday
from Christmasse vntill Iune.
_Faires in Februarie._
The first day at Bromleie. The second at Lin, at Bath, at Maidstone,
at Bickleswoorth, at Budwoorth. The fourtéenth at Feuersham. On
Ashwednesday at Lichfield, at Tamwoorth, at Roiston, at Excester, at
Abington, at Cicester. The foure and twentith at Henlie vpon Thames,
at Tewkesburie.
_Faires in March._
On the twelth day, at Stamford, Sappesford, and at Sudburie. The
thirtéenth day at Wie, at the Mount, & at Bodmin in Cornewall. The
fift sunday in Lent, at Grantham, at Salisburie. On monday before our
ladie day in Lent, at Wisbich, at Kendall, Denbigh in Wales. On
palmesunday éeuen, at Pumfret. On palmesunday, at Worcester. The
twentith day at Durham. On our ladie day in Lent at Northamton, at
Malden, at great Chart, at Newcastell. And all the ladie daies at
Huntington. And at Saffron Walden on midlentsunday.
_Faires in Aprill._
The fift day at Wallingford. The seuenth at Darbie. The ninth at
Bickleswoorth, at Belinswoorth. On monday after, at Euesham in
Worcestershire. On tuesday in Easter wéeke at Northfléet, at Rochford,
at Hitchin. The third sunday after Easter, at Louth. The two and
twentith at Stabford. On saint Georges day, at Charing, at Ipswich, at
Tamworth, at Ampthill, at Hinninham, at Gilford, at saint Pombes in
Cornewall. On saint Markes day at Darbie, at Dunmow in Essex. The six
and twentith at Tenderden in Kent.
_Faires in Maie._
On Maie daie at Rippon, at Perin in Cornwall, at Osestrie in Wales, at
Lexfield in Suffolke, at Stow the old, at Reading, at Leicester, at
Chensford, at Maidstone, at Brickehill, at Blackeborne, at Cogilton,
at Stokeneie land. The third at Bramyard, at Henningham, at Elstow,
Waltham, Holicrosse, and Hedningham castell. The seuenth at Beuerleie,
at Newton, at Oxford. On Ascension day at Newcastell, at Yerne, at
Brimechame, at saint Edes, at Bishopstratford, at Wicham, at
Middlewich, at Stopford, at Chappell frith. On Whitsunéeuen, at
Skipton vpon Crauen. On Whitsunday, at Richell, at Gribbie, and euerie
wednesday fortnight at Kingston vpon Thames, at Ratesdale, at
Kirbistephin in Westmerland. On monday in Whitsunwéeke, at Darington,
at Excester, at Bradford, at Rigate, at Burton, at Salforth, at
Whitechurch, at Cockermouth, at Applebie, at Bicklesworth, at
Stokeclare. On tuesday in Whitsunwéeke, at Lewse, at Rochford, at
Canturburie, at Ormeskirke, at Perith, at long Milford. On wednesday
in Whitsunwéeke, at Sandbarre, at Raiston. On Trinitie sunday, at
Kendall, and at Rowell. On thursday after Trinitie sunday, at
Prescote, at Stapford, at saint Annes, at Newburie, at Couentrie, at
saint Edes, at Bishop storford, at Rosse. The ninth at Lochester, at
Dunstable. The twentie seuenth day, at Lenham. The twentie ninth at
Crambrooke. On monday in Rogation wéeke at Rech, and sunday after
Ascension day, at Thaxsted.
_Faires in Iune._
The ninth day at Maidstone. The xj, at Okingham, at Newbourgh, at
Bardfield, at Maxfield, & Holt. The seuenteenth at Hadstocke. The
twentie thrée at Shrewsburie, at saint Albans. The twentie fourth day,
at Horsham, at Bedell, at Strackstocke, at saint Annes, at Wakefield,
at Colchester, at Reading, at Bedford, at Barnewell beside Cambridge,
at Woollerhampton, at Crambrooke, at Glocester, at Lincolne, at
Peterborow, at Windsor, at Harstone, at Lancaster, at Westchester, at
Halifax, at Ashborne. The twentie seuenth, at Folkestone. The twentie
eight, at Hetcorne, at saint Pombes. The twentie ninth, at Woodhurst,
at Marleborough, at Hollesworth, at Woollerhampton, at Peterfield, at
Lempster, at Sudburie, at Gargrainge, at Bromleie.
_Faires in Iulie._
The second at Congreton, at Ashton vnder line. The sunday after the
third of Iulie, at Raiston. The eleuenth at Partneie, and at Lid. The
fifteenth, at Pichbacke. The seuentéenth, at Winchcombe. The twentith,
at Vxbridge, at Catesbie, at Bolton. The twentie two, at Marleborow,
at Winchester, at Colchester, at Tetburie, at Cooling, at Yealdon, at
Bridgenorth, at Clitherall, at Norwich in Cheshire, at Cheswike, at
Battelfield, at Bicklewoorth. The twentie fift, at Bristow, at Douer,
at Chilham, at Darbie, at Ipswich, at Northampton, at Dudleie in
Staffordshire, at saint Iames beside London, at Reading, at Ereth in
the Ile, at Walden, at Thremhall, at Baldocke, at Louth, at
Malmesburie, at Bromeleie, at Chichester, at Liuerpoole, at Altergam,
at Rauenglasse in the north. The twentie sixt, at Tiptrie. The twentie
seuenth at Canturburie, at Horsham, at Richmund in the north, at
Warington, at Chappell Frith.
_Faires in August._
The first day at Excester, at Feuersham, at Dunstable, at saint Edes,
at Bedford, at Northam church, at Wisbich, at Yorke, at Rumneie, at
Newton, at Yeland. The fourth at Linton. The tenth at Waltham, at
Thaxsted, at Blackemoore, at Hungerford, at Bedford, at Stroides, at
Fernam, at S. Laurence by Bodmin, at Walton, at Croileie, at Seddell,
at new Brainford. The xv, at Cambridge, at Dunmow, at Caerleill, at
Preston in Andall, at Wakefield on the two ladie daies, and vpon the
Sunday after the fiftéenth day of August, at Hauerhull. On Bartholomew
day, at London, at Beggers bush beside Rie, at Teukesburie, at
Sudburie, at Rie, at Nantwich, at Pagets, at Bromleie, at Norwich, at
Northalerton, at Douer. On the sunday after Bartholomew day, at
Sandwich. The twentie seuenth, and at Ashford.
_Faires in September._
The first day at S. Giles at the Bush. The eight day at Woolfpit, at
Wakefield, at Sturbridge, in Southwarke at London, at Snide, at
Recoluer, at Gisbourgh both the ladie daies, at Partneie. The thrée
ladie daies at Blackeburne, at Gisborne in Yorkeshire, at Chalton, at
Vtcester. On Holiroode day, at Richmond in Yorkeshire, at Rippond a
horse faire, at Penhad, at Bersleie, at Waltam abbeie, at Wotton vnder
hedge, at Smalding, at Chesterfield, at Denbigh in Wales. On saint
Mathies day, at Marleborough, at Bedford, at Croidon, at Holden in
Holdernes, at saint Edmundsburie, at Malton, at saint Iues, at
Shrewesburie, at Laneham, at Witnall, at Sittingborne, at Brainetrie,
at Baldocke, at Katharine hill beside Gilford, at Douer, at Eastrie.
The twentie ninth day being Michaelmas day, at Canturburie, at Malton
a noble horsse faire, at Lancaster, at Blackeborne, at Westchester, at
Cokermouth, at Ashborne, at Hadleie, at Malden an horsse faire, at
Waie hill, at Newburie, and at Leicester.
_Faires in October._
The fourth day at Michell. The sixt day at saint Faiths beside
Norwich, at Maidstone. The eight at Harborough, at Hereford, at Bishop
Storford. On S. Edwards day, at Roiston, at Grauesend, at Windsor, at
Marshfield. The ninth day at Colchester. On saint Lukes eeuen, at
Elie, at Wrickle, at Vpane, at Thirst, at Bridgenorth, at Stanton, at
Charing, at Burton vpon Trent, at Charleton, at Wigan, at Friswides in
Oxford, at Tisdale, at Middlewich, at Holt in Wales. The twentie one
day at Saffron Walden, at Newmarket, at Hertford, at Cicester, at
Stokesleie. The twentie third, at Preston, at Bikelsworth, at
Ritchdale, at Whitechurch. The twentie eight, at Newmarket, and
Hertford. On all saints eeuen, at Wakefield, and at Rithen.
_Faires in Nouember._
The second at Blechinglie, at Kingston, at Maxfield, at Epping. The
sixt day at Newport pond, at Stanleie, at Tregnie, at Salford, at
Lesford, and Wetshod faire at Hertford. The tenth, at Leuton. The
eleuenth, at Marleborough, at Douer. The thirtenth, at saint
Edmundsburie, at Gilford. The seventeenth day, at Low, at Hide. The
ninéetenth, at Horsham. On saint Edmunds day, at Hith, at Ingerstone.
The twentie third day, at Sandwich. On saint Andrews day at
Colingbourgh, at Rochester, at Peterfield, at Maidenhed, at Bewdleie,
at Warington in Lancashire, at Bedford in Yorkeshire, at Osestrie in
Wales, and at Powles Belcham.
_Faires in December._
On the fift day, at Pluckeleie. On the sixt, at Cased, at Hedningham,
at Spalding, at Excester, at Sinocke, at Arnedale, and at Northwich in
Chesshire. The seuenth day at Sandhurst. The eight day being the
conception of our ladie, at Clitherall in Lancashire, at Malpas in
Cheshire. The twentie ninth, at Canturburie, and at Salisburie.