Fairs, past and present

by Cornelius Walford

Mr. Morley has pointed out that before the establishment of free fairs in France, the rights of salutaticum, pontaticum, repaticum, and portulaticum, absorbed one half of a foreign merchant’s goods upon their first arrival and debarkation. Afterwards traders came exempt not only from imperial taxation, but from many of the ordinary risks of travel.

One great element of interest in these fairs centres in the circumstance of the following correspondence between the Wardens of the fair and the Lord Mayor of London concerning dealings in these fairs in the thirteenth century. They have been carefully preserved amongst the records of the City for six centuries—and now for the first time gain the glory of printer’s ink. They reveal a feature in the comity of nations; and present a proof of the cosmopolitan interests of commerce which can scarcely be excelled. Hence I propose to give them entire:

1. Letter directed to the Mayor by the Keepers of the Fairs of Champagne and Brie, dated September 1299.

To the venerable man, the provident, wise and discreet Warden of London, or to his vicegerent, Peter de Fremeville, knight, and Robert de Champagne (de Campaniis), keepers of the fairs of Champagne and Brie for our most illustrious Lord the King of the French, increase of all good with greeting and sincere affection. Whereas heretofore, by our letters patent sealed with the seal of the fairs of Champagne, we have entreated you to compel, or cause to be compelled, the burgess Fauberti, a citizen of Florence and horse-dealer (mercatorem equorum), together with Guido Fauberti, Nutus (or Nuto) Fauberti, brothers of the said burgess, Master Gerald de Galaiòn physician, [and] James son of the said Nutus, associates of the said burgess, by the sale of their goods and the seizure of their bodies, sending them back to us, to yield and pay to Pucheus de Pré (de Prato), formerly horse-dealer in the said fairs, Martin de Burgo novo, brother of John de Burgo now deceased formerly horse-dealer, and John de Burgo novo, nephew of the said John deceased and of Martin aforesaid, or to the bearer of our said letters for them, one thousand six hundred petits livres Tournois with sufficient damages and expenses; and to satisfy us concerning the said King’s amends for default of the fairs. In which sum of money they are held effectually bounden, and every of them in the whole, for the body of the fairs of Bani (Bari) super Albam from the year of Our Lord 1292, as well by reason and because of certain pledges made and committed in and upon the body of the said fairs, as by reason and because of the restitution of more sureties and more costs and damages, which by default of the said burgess and his associates before mentioned in and upon the body of the said fairs they had and were said to have incurred: as in certain open letters of definitive sentence sealed with the seal of the said fairs is said to be contained. Upon which things Tolnetus [elsewhere Nicholas] called Concesse, our sworn servant in the said fairs, by word of mouth related to us that he in the year of Our Lord 1293 presented to you our aforesaid letters (as he says), which deprecatory letters of ours directed to you if forsooth you received, yet you willed not to demand due execution of the same, or to write back any answer to us, although at the end it was duly contained that what you should do therein, you would will and deign by your letters to write back, and although in presence of many trustworthy persons you were so requested by our said servant; on the ground that war was begun and raised between the most excellent princes, the King of France and King of England: as our said sworn servant on oath has related all these things to be true, whereat we most greatly marvel, if it is so and we hold ourselves not contemned, since this is to the no mean damage and grievance of the said creditors, and prejudice and contempt of the government of the said fairs committed unto us, because on account of the war aforesaid you were by no means bound to keep back our said letters deprecatory demanding due execution. Wherefore as much as we can with diligence on behalf of our most excellent lord, John by the grace of God, King of France and Navarre, Lord of Champagne and Brie, and on our part, by the tenor of these presents, we move your providence to be entreated, that you do cause all the goods of the aforesaid burgess Fauberti and his associates before named and of the said company to be solemnly proclaimed for sale, and to be sold and divided without delay to the uses and customs of fairs, or so much of them that out of the price of the sale the said creditors (or, for them, the bearer of these presents) as to the aforesaid sum of money with sufficient damages and expenses, and we, as to the amends of our said lord the King, be wholly satisfied; and that the body of the said burgess Fauberti together with the bodies of his associates aforenamed—if they can be found in your jurisdiction, and if the sale of goods does not suffice for the premises—you do send back to us to the fairs in sure and faithful custody to pay among them the charges of the creditors, and to clear themselves before us in this matter as to the uses and customs beforesaid. If, however, you wish to put forward any thing contrary to the report of our said servant, and believe your own interests to be concerned, be present in person before us, or, for yourself, send at a fitting day which the bearer of these presents shall cause to be named to you, to say what shall seem to you expedient. Otherwise, we shall then hold the said report to be fast and firm, you doing thereupon, on account of the reverence and honour due to our aforesaid lord the King and the intervention of our prayers, because we are bounden to you and yours in all manner of favours deserved, such and so much as you would wish us to do for you in the like or a greater case. What you shall do herein, have a care to signify to us by the bearer of these presents in your letters patent together with the present letters demanding execution sent back, notwithstanding that they shall not be presented to you by the servant of the fairs. Given in the year of Our Lord one thousand two hundred and ninety-nine in the month of September.

J. de sancto Nabore.

2. Letter sent to the Keepers of the Fairs of Champagne and Brie, dated March 19, 1299-1300.

To the noble men and discreet lords Peter de Fremeville knight and Robert de Champagne keepers of the fairs of Champagne and Brie for the lord the King of France, Elias Russel, Mayor, and the Citizens of London, Greeting and continual increase of sincere affection. Whereas you lately wrote unto us that we should compel the burgess Fauberti &c. [named as before] as well by sale of their goods as by seizure of their bodies and also sending them to you, to render to Pucheus de Pré formerly horse-dealer, Martin de Burgo novo and other creditors in your letters comprised, or to the bearer of your said letters, 1,600 petit livres Tournois together with damages and expenses, and also the amends of the Lord the King for default of fairs; in which sum of money the aforesaid dealers (mercatores), and every of them in the whole, are bound by their letters made in the fairs of Bari super Albam, by reason of divers contracts between them before had from the year of Our Lord 1292, as in your letters thereupon to us directed more fully is contained: We willing, so far as the laws and customs of England permit, by mutual interchange to comply with your prayers, have caused to come before us, in the presence of John de Flekers your servant and bearer of the presents, the aforesaid burgess and Nutus, dealers, to answer to your said servant concerning the said debt according to the form of your letters, which said dealers asserted that they are quit of all the aforesaid, because of them all they sufficiently satisfied the said creditors, and therein proffered a letter of Gencian de Paris, baker (panetarii) of the King of France, and Robert de Champagne, keepers of the fairs of Champagne and Brie sealed with the seal of the fairs of Champagne, in which it is contained that the said burgess, for himself, his brothers, and associates, in the fairs of Bari super Albam in the year of Our Lord 1293, appeared in person before the said keepers, and spoke with the said Pucheus and compounded with him under such form that the said Pucheus held himself as paid by the said burgess, his brothers and associates abovesaid, by reason of the said composition, as the said Pucheus before the said keepers acknowledged and wholly assented to the said composition for himself and his associates. And because by the letters aforesaid it appeared that the said burgess and his associates by the said composition are totally quit of the debt aforesaid, we could not by your mandate lawfully compel them to pay the said money. Given at London on Saturday next before Mid-Lent in the year of Our Lord 1299.

3. Second letter [of the Keepers] of the Fairs of Champagne and Brie for the burgess Fuberti to the Lord Mayor, dated May 1300.

To the provident men, the venerable and honorable Mayor and Citizens of London, or their vicegerents, or one of them, Peter de Fremville, knight, and Robert de Champagne, keepers of the fairs of Champagne and Brie, continual increase of sincere affection with greeting. Whereas we, by our letters patent sealed with the seal of the said fairs, have many times (pluries) prayed and requested you to compel and cause to be compelled the burgess Fouberti, citizen of Florence and horse-dealer by seizure of his body and goods, and also by the sale of the goods of Guido Fouberti &c. [as before], to satisfy Pucheus de Pré formerly in the said fairs horse-dealer, Martin &c. [as before], on and of the sum (that is to say) of 1060 [for 1600] petits livres Tournois with moderate damages and costs, in which sum of money the said burgess Fouberti together with his associates aforesaid is held bound to the beforenamed Pucheus, Martin and John, as debtor, concerning the body of the past fairs of Barri super Albam in the year of Our Lord 1293, as well by reason and because of certain pledges made and committed in and upon the body of the abovesaid fairs, as by reason and because of the restitution of more sureties and more costs and damages which by default of the said burgess and his associates beforementioned in and upon the body of the said fairs they had and were said to have incurred, as in certain letters of definitive sentence sealed with the seal of the fairs of Champagne is said to be contained: upon which, first, you would make no answer to us, or for our said letters deprecatory demand any execution, as Nicholas called Concesse our sworn servant, bearer of our said letters (as he said), reported to us on oath by word of mouth; but upon the tenor of our second letters which you caused to be detained with you—as John de Flichers our sworn servant, bearer of the same (as he says) related to us with his own mouth—upon these things with certain closed letters you wrote back, that you caused to come before you in presence of the said John de Flichers the aforesaid burgess and Nutus, dealers, according to the form of our letters to answer to our said servant concerning the said debt. Which said dealers asserted they were quit of all the abovesaid, because of all these they duly satisfied the said creditors &c. [reciting what was said in the last]. By the course of these presents we thus hereupon notify to you that the said sum of money has not yet been in any way satisfied, as Dignus de Pré, son and heir (as it is said) of Pucheus deceased, has given us to understand. And assuredly, moreover, as soon as the said burgess on account of the things aforesaid appeared before you, and alleged the things contained in your answer, you ought to have taken into your hand his goods and those of his said associates, and to have fixed a certain and fit day for him before you, as in our letters abovesaid was contained; for the cognizance of what relates to fairs belongs to no judge, but to us only by reason of the government of fairs committed unto us. Wherefore, on the part of our lord the King of France and on our own part, we again ask your providences to cause without delay so much of the goods of the said burgess and his associates aforesaid to be taken, sold, and divided to the uses and customs of fairs that the aforesaid Dignus de Pré may be fully satisfied of the whole sum of money aforesaid with damages and expenses, and we, of the amends; and the body of the said burgess, is the sale shall not suffice for the costs of the said complainant, left on account of your default it behove us to inhibit the land and fairs of Champagne and Brie to all your subjects and their goods. What you shall do herein, have a care to signify to us in your letters patent by the bearer of these presents, sending back the present letters together with our other letters aforesaid detained with you, as has been said. Given in the year of Our Lord 1300 in the month of May. J. de Sancto Nabore.

I have placed a passage in italics, as indicating the fact that the merchants of London attended these fairs.