MARKETS AND FAIRS 123 



The Cloisters which serve as a Market House were built in 1810 

 with money left by a native of the place, John Waller, to serve the 

 double purpose of sheltering those who came to church on Sunday and 

 those who stood the market on Monday, and small though it is, it is now 

 more than sufficient for the latter purpose. The market has been 

 declining for many years, the chief cause being attributed to the 

 custom of butter factors going round to the farms and buying up the 

 butter, eggs and poultry and thus saving the farmers the trouble of 

 attending each week. Another custom which is a contributory cause 

 and has only sprung up in recent years is that of fanners putting up 

 their butter in buckets, to be dealt with in the large butter factories 

 in Yorkshire, where it is blended and made uniform — a lack of this 

 uniformity is one of the misfortunes of Westmorland butter. There 

 are two butter factories in Kirkby Stephen and one in Appleby, where 

 blending is now done in the county. 



At the present time a Market Committee rents the tolls from Lord 

 Hothfield for £$ a year ; previous to this arrangement they were rented 

 by Edward Fawcett. As showing the diminished state of the market 

 the present inspector appointed by the Committee only collects from 

 4d. to 1/6 per week in tolls. The " Toll Dish " is a shallow dish of 

 bronze measuring about a foot in diameter ; it is very seldom used — 

 the fees being always paid in cash ; there is also an old bronze bushel 

 in Appleby Castle inscribed " The measure of Thomas Earl of Thanet 

 Island, Lord Tufton of Tufton L.D. Clifford Westmerlan for the use 

 of his Lopps Market at Kirkby Stephen in Westmerlan 1685." 



The following are the market regulations at present in force ; they 

 are exhibited on a large board in the Cloisters. The tolls are levied 

 \mder provisions contained in the charter of 1554 : — 



I. — For every person standing or walking exposing commodities of any kind 

 for sale on handbarrow or other vehicle not occupying any defined space, 

 one penny and upwards. 



2. — For every bushel (customary measure) of potatoes exposed for sale in the 

 Market, one Toll-dish full. 



3. — For every stall or stand whereon the owner exposes an)rthing for sale, 

 a stallage Toll as follows, viz. : — Four feet long or under 2d., and one 

 half-penny per foot for every additional foot occupied. 



4. — For each set of hobby-horses, swing-boats, or bicycles propelled by steam, 

 hand or horse, one shilling or more according to space occupied. 



