The Londoners could hold their own Pied Poudre Courts in all fairs of England.
1327. Charter of Edward III. to the city of London.
And forasmuch as the citizens, in all good fairs of England, were wont to have among themselves keepers to hold the pleas touching the citizens of the said city assembling at the said fairs: we will and grant, as much as in us is, that the same citizens may have suchlike keepers, to hold such pleas of their covenants, as of ancient time they had, except the pleas of land and crown.
Birch, Charters of City of London, 55.
1298. To all stewards, bailiffs, and officers of the fair of St. Botolph and other faithful of Christ to whom the present letters shall come, Henry le Galeys, mayor of the city of London, as well as the whole commune send greeting. Know ye that we have made and constituted our beloved in Christ Elyas Russel, John de Armenters, William de Paris and William de Mareys, our wardens and attorneys at the present fair of St. Botolph, to demand and claim and exact all our citizens who are for any cause arrested or impleaded in any of your courts, and for executing full justice in all plaints against them according to the law merchant, ratifying and holding good anything they or any one of them may do in the premises, and in all other things which they or any one of them shall deem to affect in any way the liberties of the city and our citizens. In witness whereof we have set our common seal to these presents.
London, Sunday the Feast of St. Margaret the Virgin, 26 Edward I.
Sharpe, Cal. Letter Books of Corporation, B. 219.
PROFITS.
Besides fines the tolls were the most general source of profit. They were duties which the tenant of a market might exact on goods brought into the market and sold there.
1275. Statute against exorbitant tolls.