AND that all BUYERS and SELLERS to deal justly and truly and do use true WEIGHTS AND MEASURES and that they duly pay their TOLL, STALLAGE and other DUTIES upon pain that shall fall thereon
AND if any OFFENCES INJURY or WRONG shall be committed or done by or to any person or persons within this TOWN FAIR and LIBERTY the same shall be redressed according to JUSTICE and the LAWS of this REALM
DATED this day of September 190
God Save the King.
In the olden time it was the custom to have a stag hunt on the second day, and the “fair ball” is still, and has long been, kept up. It was formerly the practice for many tradesmen to keep open house during the fair, of which practice some of their customers took very liberal advantage. Calling on one shopkeeper to pay a small account, they and members of their family who accompanied them would enjoy a hearty meal, and after an hour or two in the fair would repeat the proceeding with another, and sometimes with a third. This has now been put a stop to by the reduction of profits, through the competition brought about by the advent of Co-operative Societies and Companies, and other causes. Not only have the glories of Barnstaple fair been celebrated in prose, but the poet has sung of them, and this sketch may be appropriately concluded by giving one of the compositions that used to be sung:—
BARNSTAPLE FAIR.
Oh! Devonshire’s a noble county, full of lovely views, miss!
And full of gallant gentlemen, for you to pick and choose, miss!
But search the towns all round about there’s nothing can compare, miss!
In measurement of merriment, with Barnstaple Fair, miss!