Fairs, past and present

by Cornelius Walford

2. Wardens of the Privileges.—These were judges appointed during the fair, to see that the franchises were preserved, and to take cognizance of contests that might arise between traders there. Every fair was to have two wardens, one chancellor to keep the seal, two lieutenants, forty notaries, and 100 serjeants. The wardens and chancellors were sworn in the Chamber of Accounts, Paris, where they were yearly to make their report of the state of the fairs. No judgment might be given during the fair but by the two wardens, or when one was unavoidably absent, by one warden and the chancellor.

3. How goods were to be brought within the franchise.—The drapers and traders of the seventeen cities of Champagne and Brie frequenting the fairs—that is to say those of the cities in which one of these seventeen fairs was held—might not sell their cloths or other stuffs, wholesale or retail, within or without the kingdom, unless first sent to one of the fairs and exposed for sale from the first day appointed for the sale of cloth until the sixth following, on pain of forfeiture; they being, however, at liberty to dispose of them as they pleased, if not sold in that time.

Farmers, curriers, &c., must bring their leather to the fair, and expose it all together from the first of the three days, without reserving any for the last days, or selling in any other place than that designed for the sale of leather.

Horse-dealers, both subjects and foreigners, must have their stables in the said fairs from the third day of the cloths (i.e. fixed for the sale of cloth) until the fair ended.

In like manner all other wares brought into the fair were to remain on sale, some for six days, others for three days only, according to their nature and quality.

4. Inspections.—These were of two kinds, one by the wardens conservators, and the other by examiners chosen out of the trading companies frequenting the fair. The wardens’ inspection was at the opening of every fair, to see that the dealers had all suitable convenience and security—the inspectors being properly qualified judges of the character of the goods brought, with authority to stop and seize all that were of inferior quality; but this not without appeal to six, five, or four persons experienced in the particular trade.

5. Payments, Bonds, and Exchanges.—All tradesmen, alike French and foreigners, might agree in their contracts for payment of goods sold in the fair—to be paid in gold and silver current at the time of making the contract, notwithstanding any ordinance concerning money to the contrary. Interest for loans, and goods sold on credit at fairs, might not exceed fifteen per cent. The interest might not be added to the principal in renewing bonds made at fairs. Nor might bonds made at any other time run in the style of those used at fairs, as if made there.

All letters, acts, contracts, &c., relating to fairs, to be null unless under the authenticated seal of the fairs. None unless he had actual residence in fairs might use the seal or other obligations, or enjoy the privileges thereof.

The re-establishment of these privileges—many of which were obviously made in the interest of merchants attending to buy—had the effect of restoring the fairs of these provinces to their former greatness. Again multitudes of traders came from Germany, Italy (particularly from Florence), Lucca, Venice, and Genoa, with gold, silver, and silk stuffs, spices and other goods of their country, or of the Levant, taking in exchange cloths, leather and other commodities, not only the produce of the provinces, but brought from other parts of France.

I speak of the fair of Troyes separately hereafter, on account of one of its distinguishing features.