The same King and Queen granted the following tolls payable for the merchandise brought to the fair. This is important as showing the nature of the goods brought at this period:

Custom and Toll due in the time of Sturbridge Fair for divers wares brought thither:

For every cade of red herrings at the bying1 d.
For 100 of ling6
For every 100 of wabboks ling4
For every 100 of codds4
For every 100 of wabboks codds2
For every heap of fish to be retailed laid upon a mat of the old assize2
Of every jule of cured fish for groundage2
Of grinstones every foot½
Of every person that retaileth soap, for his standing in the fair2
Of every hundred wainscot8
Of every dicker of leather2
Of every 100 calf-skins4
Of every 100 sheep-skins2
For groundage of every load of pales, shovels, pack-saddles, cart-saddles, and goddends4
Of every great salt-stone2
Of every bushel of mustard seed½
Of every load of baskets, farms skepps leeper and such other4
Of every stranger selling freshwater fish in kemblin1
Of every cart load of oisters for cart and standing4
Item a barrel of osmonds2
Item a barrel of pitch2
Item a barrel of tar2
Item a barrell of herrings2
Item a barrell of cork for dying2
Item for every barrel of cured fish2
Item a barrel of salmon4
Item a barrel of oil4
Item a barrel of honey4
Item of sturgeon a barrel4
Item a barrel of sope4
Item a barrel of eels4
Item a barrel of birdlime4
Item cart laden with poles1
Of every cart loaden with heboldines1
Of every horse with a wombtye loaden½
Of every cart loaden with beyondsea classhold2
Item 100 of beyondsea classhold for groundage1
Of every cart loaden with English classhold and lying down2
Of every horse sold1
Of every load of hobboldynes for groundage1
Of every cart loaden with faggots, besides the fall penny½
Of every cart loaden with smiths coals2
Of every cart loaden with timber2
Of every cart loaden with lathes2
Of every cart loaden with boards2
Of every cart loaden with cheese2
Of every load of boards, hurdles, spokes, and lathes, for groundage2
Of every load of hewn timber for groundage2
Of every fodder of lead, for groundage2
Of every cart or wayne loaden with lead, for groundage2
Of every load of iron, for groundage if he have no booth2
Of every cart loaden with iron, for laying down2
Of every cart loaden with hayres2
Of every cart loaden with sackcloath2
Of every cart loaden with any manner of merchandize then aforesaid, at lying down, besides the groundage2
Of every cart or wayne loaden with nails, at lying down2
Of every person selling nails, for groundage6
Of every keel or boat that beareth a helm, as oft as he cometh2
Of every keel or boat that beareth no helm, as oft as he cometh1
Of every heap of coals,4
Of every cart loaden with merchandize discharged at Barnwell,2
Of every cart charged with merchandize at Barnwell, other than the inhabitants’ goods of Cambridge, coming from the Barnwell to the fair and there discharge,1
Of every cart charged with the inhabitants’ goods at Cambridge or at Barnwell and discharged at the fair½
Of every cart loaden with merchandize or wayne goying out of the fair,2

1558. The University of Cambridge being in want of money the question was again raised (see 1547) of selling to the Corporation of Cambridge all privileges in this fair. The proposal met with strong and successful opposition from the Provost of King’s College (vide Fuller’s “Hist. of Univ. of Camb.”). In the “History and Antiquities of Barnwell Abbey,” 1786 (p. 78, part ii.) there is the following: “Robert Brassil ... who being Vice chancellor, in 1558, was much commended for his wisdome in withstanding the heads & masters of Colleges in this universitie; when, as they had all except him, consented & concluded to sell all their wrightes and jurisdictions in Sturbridge Faire to the mayor, bayliffes & burgesses of the towne of Cambridge.”

Drapers, Merchant Taylors, and Clothworkers of London.—On 3rd Sept. 1557, a letter was addressed to the Vice-chancellor and Proctors of the University by Nicholas Hethe Archbishop of York, Lord High Chancellor of England, and Thomas Thirleby, Bishop of Ely, stating that complaint had been made unto them by the Drapers, Merchant Tailors, and Clothworkers of the City of London, that they repairing theretofore with their cloths to Sturbridge fair, had been troubled in the sale thereof, through unlawful searches pretended by divers light persons more for their own private gain and the vexation of the merchants than for any good intent to have the Statutes duly executed. Their Lordships therefore required, that in future no such unlawful searches should be made by any such light persons, and that merchants should not be otherwise disquieted or ordered than was ordained and provided by the Statutes of the realm. “Annals of Camb.” ii. p. 135.

1559. There were again disputes between the University and Town of Cambridge respecting the watch at time of the fair. The following memorandum drawn up by the mayor embodies the views of Lord North and the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas thereon:

After our verye harty commendacions, Where we of late with the advise and consent of the rest of the Justices of peace of this Shire take order for the better & more quyet governement of this shire, That duringe this Stirbridge fayre tyme the watches for the Universitie & Towne of Cambridge sholde lovinglie joyne togither & be dubled, whereof our verye frende Mr Baron Frevyll dyd take upon him to advertyse you of the same, by occasion wherof we dyd forbear to wryte unto you therein. We now ar enformed that ye ar not as yet fully agreed to joyne togither in the execucion of the same for certaine respects that ye have to the preservation of your liberties, Wherefore we do feare great inconveniens and perill may growe, onles ye do spedelye conforme yourselves thereunto. These are therefore to advertyse you & requyre you for the more quietnes of this cuntrye & Towne, and for the Queenes Majesties better servyse that ye forthewith conjoin yourselves togithers accordinglie, notwithstandinge any persuasion to either of you to the contrarye.

And furthermore understandinge that there ar allredie a nombre of Sturdye Vacabonds & masterles men come unto Cambridg for some yll purpose as it is supposed; We therefore do likewyse desyer & requyre you in hir majesties behalfe, that ye do take a great respect unto the apprehendinge of them, and to the safe keepinge of them untill the faire be past. We meane such as come not to the intent to labor, or otherwise lawfullie to get their livinge prayenge you that if upon eny examinacion of anye of them ye shall fynde eny matter worthye to be further examined & tryed out, to advertyse us immediatelie therof so that we maye yᵉ better ayed & assist you for your better service & procedinge in the same, nothinge doubtinge but yᵉ will lovinglye & effectually consider the premisses in suche wyse as both you and me maye avoide displeasure and blame. And thus we byd you hartelye farewell. From Carleton this Mondaye, the iiij of Septembre, Aᵒ 1559.

1561. The Corporation appear to have renewed their application for a grant of the fair. It was ordered that the expense of the inquisition for the new charter should be borne by the town.

1562. There was a great flood, so that the portion of Sturbridge called the “Waterfair” could not be occupied by the booths accustomably built there. Whereupon the Corporation directed Robert Chapman and others to assign another place for such booths for this year’s fair only.