(D. Defoe, Tour through Great Britain: Yorkshire, Vol. III, p. 124)
YORKSHIRE. LEEDS CLOTH MARKET.
Leeds ... is a large, wealthy and populous town, standing on the north side of the river Aire, with great suburbs on the south side, and both joined by a stately stone bridge, so large and wide, that formerly the cloth-market was kept upon it, and therefore the refreshment given the clothiers by the inn-keepers (being a pot of ale, a noggin of pottage, and a trencher of boiled or roast beef, for two pence) [was] called the Brigg-shot for a long time, though now disused.
... The trade soon made the Market too great to be confined to the Brigg; so that it was removed to the High Street ... this bridge was fallen into decay ... and by the narrowness of the road over, occasioned by the buildings and other encroachments, made or set up at both ends and abutments of the bridge, the way or passage over the same was greatly confined and obstructed, and became ... dangerous to passengers on foot and horseback....
But the Cloth market held in the Cloth-hall at Leeds is ... perhaps not to be equalled in the world....
The Clothiers come early in the morning with their cloth ... at about six o’clock in the summer, and about seven in the winter, the Clothiers being all come by that time, the Market Bell at the Old Chapel by the bridge rings; upon which it would surprise a stranger, to see in how few minutes, without hurry, noise or the least disorder, the whole market is filled, all the benches covered with cloth, as close to one another as the pieces can lie longways, each proprietor standing behind his own piece, who form a mercantile regiment, as it were, drawn up in a double line, in as great order as a military one.
As soon as the bell has ceased ringing, the factors and buyers of all sorts, enter the hall, and walk up and down between the rows, as their occasions direct. Most of them have papers with patterns sealed on them, in their hands; the colours of which they match, by holding them to the cloths they think they agree to. When they have pitched upon their cloth, they lean over to the clothier, and, by a whisper, in the fewest words imaginable, the price is stated; one asks, the other bids; and they agree or disagree in a moment.
The reason of this prudent silence is owing to the clothiers standing so near to one another; for it is not reasonable that one trader should know another’s traffic.... The buyers generally walk up and down twice on each side of the rows, and in little more than an hour all the business is done. In less than half an hour you will perceive the cloth begins to move off, the clothier taking it up upon his shoulder to carry it to the merchant’s house. At about half an hour after eight the Market Bell rings again, upon which the buyers immediately disappear, and the cloth which remains unsold is carried back to the inn.
Thus you see 10 or 20,000l. worth of cloth, and sometime much more, bought and sold in little more than an hour, the laws of the Market being the most strictly observed that I ever saw in any market in England.
If it be asked, how all these goods, at this place, at Wakefield and at Halifax are vended and disposed of? I would observe,