CHAPTER XIII.
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
1802.
During the performance at the theatre in the fair, 27th Sept., a cry of “fire” arose in different parts of the house, which was greatly crowded. Although the manager and performers assured the audience that the alarm was without foundation, and tried every persuasion to obtain order, a general rush took place. Some threw themselves over from the upper boxes into the pit; others were trampled upon and bruised on the stairs. In the end three girls and a boy were taken up dead, and many others were more or less seriously injured. It was supposed the cry was got up for the purposes of robbery; one hundred guineas reward was offered for the offenders, but they escaped detection.
1827. In Hone’s “Year Book” is given a graphic account of this fair as it had existed within the memory of the writer, whose “personal recollections of more than sixty years ago,” are embodied therein; from which I condense the following, as giving a view of its later, but not last stage:
The first booths, on the north side of the road were occupied by the customary shows of wild beasts and wild men, conjurors, tumblers and rope-dancers. Mr. Baker’s company of “comedians” was respectable; and Lewy Owen the clown, a young man of good family, who had abandoned himself to this way of life, full of eccentric wit and grimace, continually excited broad grins. The late Mrs. Inchbald was a performer at this fair. There was a large theatrical booth, occupied by a respectable company of comedians from Norwich, under the management of Mr. Bailey, formerly a merchant of London. He was a portly good-looking man, of gentlemanly manners and address, the compiler of the Directory bearing his name—a work of much merit, containing besides the names of residents in the several towns, concise yet correct topographical description of the places: the book has now become very scarce. Other show booths, occupied by giants and dwarfs, savage beasts and other savages, extended with stunning din along this noisy line. In front of these were the fruit and gingerbread stalls.... On the south side of the road opposite to these booths was the cheese fair. Dealers from various parts took their stands there, and many tons weight were disposed of. Such as were fit for the London market were bought by the cheese factors from thence; and cheese from Cheshire, Wilts, and Gloster by the gentry and farmers and dealers from Suffolk, Norfolk, and adjoining counties; large quantities of Cottenham and cream cheeses being brought by farmers from those counties for sale. Opposite to the east end of the cheese fair, on the north side of the road stands an ancient chapel or oratory, no doubt erected for the devout dealers and others resorting to this fair, and for such pious travellers as passed or repassed the ferry to Chesterton [various references have been made to it; still standing, 1882]. At and nigh to this spot were the wool-fair and the hop-fair. Large stores of sack-cloths, waggon-tilts, and such like were near the skin, leather sellers’ and glovers’ row, where the finer articles of leather and leather gloves were sold. Little edifices of general convenience were numerous.
At the end of the show-booths and facing the row began the principal range of booths, called Garlick-row. This range of shops was well constructed. Each booth consisted of two rooms; the back room separated from the shop by a boarded partition served for a bed chamber and other domestic purposes, from which a door opened into a field. A range of booths was generally appropriated to furniture sellers, ironmongers, silversmiths, jewellers, japanners and fine cutlery dealers. Another range to silk-mercers, dealers in muslin, toys and millinery. Yet another to dealers in Norwich and Yorkshire manufactures, mercery, lace, hose, fine made shoes, boots, clogs and patterns (sic). While dealers in fashionable wares from London, as furs, fans, toys, &c. occupied a distinct group. A further group was devoted to oilmen, dealers in pickles, and preserves, one of whom—Mr. Green from Limehouse—kept a most important store here. His returns were from £1,500 to £2,000 during the fair. The father of the writer from whom I am quoting “kept the fair” for forty years and upwards, “and usually brought home £1,000 or more for goods sold and paid for, besides selling to half that amount on credit to reputable dealers and farmers.” At the end of this row stood the dealers in glass-ware, looking-glasses and small articles of mahogany furniture. The Inn—the King’s Arms, I believe—was the common resort of the horse-dealers. Here sat the Pied-poudre court, having a pair of stocks and a whipping-post in front, and a strong room underneath. Close adjoining northward was the oyster fair. The oysters brought from Lynn were very large, about the size of a horse’s hoof, and were opened with pincers; the more delicate from Colchester and Whitstable were very small. In the meadow adjoining were the coal fair, pottery fair and Staffordshire dealers. The greater part of these articles were delivered from on board vessels which drew up close to the bank of the river.
Opposite to the oyster fair was a close wherein the horse fair was kept. The show of beautiful animals in that place was perhaps unrivalled, unless in Yorkshire. The finest racers and hunters from Yorkshire, the most brawny and muscular draught horses from Suffolk, and from every other country famous for breeding horses animated the scene. This horse fair drew together a great concourse of gentry, farmers and dealers from all parts of the neighbouring counties, and scores of valuable animals changed masters in the space of a few hours. The horse fair was held on the first Friday after the fair was proclaimed.