Account Settling
While it seems that Spring has not long arrived our thoughts already turn to mid-summer, that comes what may around mid-way between Lady-day, 25th March and Michaelmas, 29th September and which was a time for paying tithes, rents, debts and dues.
At Kingsbridge, on land bequeathed in 1691 to the Grammar School by its first Master, Mr William Dunscombe for the endowment of a lecturer, the trustees assembled annually on Midsummer day to settle their accounts.
Money and the raising of funds gave rise to many fairs or festivals. Many a monarch has raised money from a community, in addition to normal taxes or levies, to finance wars, expeditions or other enterprises. In doing so their gratitude was often shown to their benefactors by their approval for a fair to be held, under licence or Charter, sometimes free of all taxes and tolls or impositions, as in Portsmouth's Free Mart Fair revived in the 1970's after Parliament was petitioned for its restoration.
The monarch often gave a personal token to those who provided finance; usually, a glove. Displayed for the duration of the Charter fair, the glove symbolised the Monarch's approval, and 'presence'.
Many of today’s fairs, like that in Exeter, still show a glove as a reminder of its origin and royal approval.m In Southernhay, the south side of Exeter now totally covered in buildings, there was in olden times a field laid out with gravel'd walks around its borders. Its proudest time was midsummer, when the Glove Fair was held there for a fortnight and every day was filled with noise, mirth and entertainments equal to any other large fair in the west country.
It was an event for civic ceremonial, opened by proclamation, attended by the corporation, the assorted bigwigs of the borough dressed in their finest clothes; all parading in grand procession, with banner bearing pageantry and music to make it merry. Tumblers and jester, snake charmers and wart removers, fortune tellers and ribbon sellers, pie-men and pedlars, farmers and fishermen, jostled for space in which to serve, please, or perform for the public. On a high pole, for all to see, was placed an enormous leather glove, a reminder of the glove given by King John when visiting Exeter as a token of the Charter he had granted for the holding of the fair.
On Midsummer day, the tailors of Exeter chose a Master, for their Company, distinguishing themselves beyond other ordinary Corporations, by hiring a Sermon to be preached before them, and the Cathedral bells to be rung throughout the day. The burial-yard of Heavitree Gallows belonged to the Worshipful Company of Tailors, land endowed to them to take care of for the particular purpose. Once each year the Company paraded to the burial yard and, on the Bridge at a place called Iron Dish, they tarried a while, treating each passer-by with a mug of ale.
Devon towns received Charters for markets and fairs from early times and while many have lapsed with the passing of time to become remote memories, some enjoy revival, albeit occasionally, when colour and tradition merge, often to assist charitable endeavours.
The Manor of Paignton had been conveyed to the Earl in June 1557 after being owned for five hundred years by the Bishops of Exeter.
An annual fair in a town closely associated with the Bishopric of Exeter is not surprising and in 1294 the Bishop granted the town a weekly market, and a fair at the festival of the Holy Trinity by the Bishop. Paignton's Charter Fair used to be held in the street near the Bishop's Palace and the right to erect stalls and receive payment for them was let with the ensuing profits and advantages for ten shillings a year. Over the centuries the dates of the fair changed, becoming a Whitsun week festivity at its close during the nineteenth century.
In 1954 the Charter was revived on the Whit Monday by the Devonshire Association of Drake's Men, a local organisation then recently formed, and the ancient custom and charter of His Noble Majesty, King Edward I, was proclaimed once again in Devon streets by a hearty gentleman representing earlier holders of an ancient office, the town-crier.
Often for a political or religious reason, as well as calendar changes, festivals and fairs, move with the times. Pre-Christian peoples celebrated their Gods and the seasons, later, people watched and prayed on the eve of church dedication or its anniversary, celebrated holidays and Saints days came together for charity, ceremonial, rites, ritual, and pleasure, quite naturally, but not always quietly.
Enthusiastic enjoyment, leading to over indulgence in many ways probably, was an irritation to the church authorities who tried to separate church festivals that recognised the 'Saints days' from other, secular, celebrations.
In 1618, King James I issued a Declaration, named by the Puritan party the 'Book of Sports', in an effort to terminate these barbaric pleasures and substitute them with games that would be more acceptable, and tolerated on a Sunday; the declaration was disregarded, the Revels continued.
Great complaints were made regarding the disorderly conduct at Wakes and Church Ales which led to an Assize judge in 1627 ordering the suppression of Revels in Exeter but, by the King's command, the order was revoked. Long may revels, church ales and charter fairs continue.
© Roy & Ursula Radford
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