In March, 1338, John Giffard told the villagers that Hugh de Audley
was concerned about the hardship suffered by the people of Yalding
in recent years. Hugh de Audley suggests a plan that he believes will
help the people of Yalding. He intends to ask King Edward III for
permission to hold a yearly three-day fair in the village.
Hugh de Audley wants the
Yalding Fair to be held on the 15th, 16th and 17th October. He has
chosen these dates because they coincide with the saints's days to
which the church is dedicated (St. Peter and St. Paul).
Fairs were very popular
in the 14th century. By 1330 there were nearly 2,000 fairs in England.
Fairs were also a good way for the lord of the manor to earn extra
money. He could make people who wanted to sell goods at his fair pay
tolls. Another way of making money was to charge a toll on every animal
sold at the fair.
Hugh de Audley wants the
fair to be held on the Lees, a flat piece of demesne land close to
Twyford Bridge. Hugh de Audley hopes that the fair will give him an
opportunity to sell some of his animals. He will also be able to charge
people to use Yalding's two bridges. Traders will also have to pay
a tax on every animal sold at the fair. Hugh de Audley also intends
to charge a penny for everybody who wishes to set up a stall at Yalding
Fair.
The vicar of Yalding Church,
Gilbert Hughes, is totally opposed to the idea of a fair. He believes
that it will attract undesirable people to Yalding. The vicar is particularly
concerned about travelling entertainers who often attempt to earn
money at fairs. Gilbert Hughes argues that local people will try to
make money by selling ale to visitors. Entertainers tend to drink
too much and this will lead to drunkenness and bad behaviour.
Gilbert Hughes is also
concerned that the visitors to the fair might bring with them infectious
diseases like smallpox and typhoid. He has also warned Hugh de Audley
that some town people who visit Yalding Fair might try and encourage
serfs to leave the village by offering them jobs in nearby towns.
Medieval musicians, Geoffrey
Luttrell Psalter (1325)
1. Look at your Family
Information Chart.
Do you think your character would
have been in favour of a fair being held in Yalding?
2. The people of Yalding
plan to hold a meeting about the possibility of holding a fair at
Yalding. Write a speech expressing your views on the subject.
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