202 Animal and Animal Products Trades 



OTHER ANIMAL AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS TRADES. 



(a) Horses. 



Smithfield was the great market for horses in the days of Henry II. 

 An excellent contemporary description of the business and pleasures 

 of this market at that date exists. It was the scene of tournaments 

 and jousts at arms between mounted knights. The horsebuyers 

 came here. Their ways of trying out the paces of the horses at- 

 tracted the public as spectators.' In later centuries horsefairs at- 

 tained some prominence in provincial parts. At Towcester and 

 Northampton fairs horses were the most important thing sold.- 

 Worcestershire had " three yearly fairs . . . particularly famous 

 for the sale of strong black horses."^ Defoe emphasizes the large 

 number of horses produced by Leicester and York.'' The former 

 produced a big part of those entering into the horse trade. Accord- 

 ing to him, in 1722 and thereabouts, Northampton was "counted 

 the Centre of all the Horse-Markets, and Horse-fairs in England, 

 there being no less than four Fairs in a Year;" here they bought 

 " Horses of all Sorts, as well for the Saddle as for the Coach and Cart."-'' 

 Horses in this region were brought up by "copers" (or "kopers"). 

 To Penkridge in Staffordshire "not less than an hundred" of these 

 " Horse-Kopers . . . from London" came "to buy Horses for 

 Sale." Some gentlemen came also "attended with their Grooms to 

 buy Gallopers, or Race-Horses, for the Newmarket Sport." These 

 Penkridge horses were assembled from York, Durham and "all the 

 Horse-B reeding Counties in England."^ Somerset bred colts and 

 sold them "into the Northern Counties, where the Horse-Copers 

 . . . in Staffordshire and Leicestershire" bought them and sold 

 them "to London for Car and Coach Horses,"" the horse-dealers in 

 London were called "Corsors."^ 



{b) Pouhry. 



The poulterers were a prominent class of tradesmen in early London 

 markets. The markets for denizen poulterers, were at Cornhill and 

 St. Nicholas Flesh Shambles; those of the foreign poulterers were at 

 Leadenhall and Friars Minors. The division of the market was "so 

 they meddle not with the . . . foreigners in sale or in purchase." 



' See Lib. Cus. II. pt. I, 7-8. ^ ibjd.; n, 328. 



2 Pococke, I, 166. « Ibid., II, 317. 



3 Nash, I, 411. " Defoe, Tour, II, 24. 



* Defoe, Tour, II. 33.V, III, 113 4. « Hazlitt. Liv. Co.s., 155. 



