Markets and Fairs in Thirteenth-Century England Data Collection, 900-1516

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P><br>The early development of markets and fairs is an issue of central significance in economic history and historical geography. The network of legally established markets and fairs in medieval England, almost all of them authorised by royal grant, was dense, highly developed and apparently originated earlier than in much of Europe. The project provides an overview of the development of the market network across England from 1000 to 1500 in order to explore the overall pattern of spatial distribution and its relation to other economic and social factors, for example density of population, wealth, and patterns of settlement. <br>
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The already complex marketing network of England was supplemented during the thirteenth century by a great increase in the number of grants of markets and fairs. This project examines the reasons for this increase, taking account of political and institutional factors as well as the economic ones which have dominated discussion in the past. Why these rights were granted, whether the markets and fairs were successful and how they were managed as part of a portfolio of lordly resources are central topics. <br><br><B>Main Topics</B>:<BR><br>The dataset contains information on all known markets and fairs and on the places in which they were held in the 39 pre-1974 counties (Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Cumberland, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, Co. Durham, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire (incl. Isle of Wight), Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Norfolk, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire, Westmorland, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, Yorkshire) of England and Wales from c.900-1516. This data includes placename, county, ordnance survey grid reference, borough status, whether the place was a mint, valuation in 1334, whether the place was a market town in c.1600, whether market or fair was prescriptive or granted, market day, feast name and date of fair, first recorded date/year charter was granted, season of fair, year by which market or fair was definitely established, year market/fair ceased to exist if before 1516, and whether the place had a fair in c.1600). <br>
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The accompanying statistical tables provide summary totals for various market/fair variables by English region (South East, South West, East Anglia, Midland and North), County, England and Wales for ‘snapshot’ years derived from data contained in the database.<br>
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Please note: this study does not include information on named individuals and would therefore not be useful for personal family history research.<br>