RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 113 



Thursday, is the great fayre day, on which day the Londoners 

 goe most of them away ; yett will not this fayre bee folly en- 

 ded till the Satterday night after. The first horse-faire is the 

 Wensday-fortnighte before Ascension day ; there is allwayes a 

 little shewe and horses bought on Tuesday night aboute water- 

 inge-time ; there is another horse-fayre the Wensday senight 

 afore Holy Thursday, but that is of little or noe accounte : then 

 there is a greate horse fayre againe on Holy Thm-sday-eve, and 

 they that bought horses att the fii'st faire will have carryed 

 them up, and bee downe againe to buy more att this fayre ; 

 there are many horses solde allsoe on Holy Thui'sday, but mares 

 are in noe request att these faires, and geldinges goe the best 

 of when they are very fatte. 



On Munday in Whitsun-weeke there is a fayre att Little- 

 Driffield, to which Nafferton and Lowthrope men come with 

 clubbs to keepe goode order and rule the faire ; they have a 

 piper* to play before them, and the Hke doinges is att the latter 

 Lady-day in harvest. 



On Trinity Mimday there is a faire att South Cave, att 

 which are many sheepe bought and solde ; horses allsoe goe 

 well of there, and especially mares, because it is neare to 

 Walling : fenne, the greate common ; and if a mare chance 

 to faU lame, they can putte her to the common and breede 

 of her. 



On St. John Baptist, or Midsiunmer day, there is a greate 

 fayre att Beverley ; att this fayre horses and fatte beasts goe of 

 indifferent well ; this day is allsoe a rule for all this country-side 

 concerninge the price of woll. 



On St. Peters day there is a faire att Frodingham, att which 

 fatte beasts goe of indifferent well, and allsoe fatte younge 

 calves and horses. 



On Mary Magdalens day the 22nd of July, there is a faire att 

 Whitgift,'' and another on Maudlen hill in Holdernesse. 



On St. James day there is a fayre att Doncaster, and another 

 att Pockhngton ; most of this side doe use to drape out the 

 worst of theire lambes and send to Pocklington faire ; I have 

 knowne fower lambes bought for lid., and the seller gave the 

 buyer one pennie againe ; I have heard of lambes bought there 

 for 2d. a peece, and fewe lambes are brought hither which ex- 

 ceed the rate of two shilUnges, 



a See note on page 97. 



'' The Inventories whence I have extracted matter relating to fallows, and house- 

 wife cloth, are from the parish of Whitgift. The prices would naturally he much 

 the same as those in the J^iast Riding, hecause Hull was then the place of resort of 

 both distriots. 



