MARKETS AND FAIRS 129 



MILNTHORPE. 



IN 1280 Alexander de Windesore obtained a charter from Edward I. 

 for a market and a fair at Heversham, but these from time immemorial 

 have been held at Milnthorpe, the former on Friday in each week and 

 the latter on old May Day. The 12th of May fair was, from a very 

 early date, proclaimed by the Steward of the Lord of the manor of 

 Levens and was attended by the Mayor and Corporation of Kendal, who 

 all dined together after the fair and then adjourned to Levens Hall to 

 feast on radishes, clap-bread and butter and to drink " Morroco," 

 following which country sports were indulged in. This custom was 

 continued till 1880 with but few breaks. The tolls of the fair were 

 collected by the Lord of the Manor. They were id. per head of cattle, 

 2d. per head for bulls, and 5d. per score for sheep ; they have not been 

 collected since the present owner succeeded to the property. 



In November, 1810, a corn market was started, when wheat sold 

 at 56s. per load of 14 score ; oats at 28s. 6d. per load and barley at 

 20s. per three Winchester bushels, but this came to an end on the 

 opening of the canal to Kendal. An attempt was made in 1838 to 

 re-establish the com market, it being started on Friday, the 14th of 

 December, in that year ; it was free from tolls ; the quantities and 

 prices on that occasion being : — wheat, 30 loads, 48s. to 50s. per load ; 

 oats, 100 loads, i4d. to i6|d. per stone ; oatmeal, 15 loads, 38s. per 

 load ; and beans 25s. to 28s. per load ; it only continued for a short 

 time however. Another attempt, with a like result, was made in 1847. 



In 1829 the market was held on Fridays and there were two fairs 

 on the I2th of May and the 17th of October, the latter being started 

 in 1817 ; both these fairs have continued ever since and although 

 greatly diminished are still two of the principal fairs of the county for 

 young cattle and sheep. The May fair is now held on the nth and 

 12th ; this was commenced about i860 with the view of evading the 

 pa5mient of the tolls ; another means dealers had of attaining the same 

 object was to go outside the precincts of the fair and meet farmers and 

 buy their animals without coming into the fair at all. In 1909 the 

 Spring Fair was held on Monday and Tuesday the loth and nth of 

 May, there being practically nothing shown on Wednesday the 12th, 

 which is the statutory fair day. At the present time the fairs are being 

 started on the loth of May and the i6th of October. 



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