A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



With the exception of Leighton Buzzard, Luton, Arlesey, and Dun- 

 stable, practically all the ancient charters for markets in this county were 

 given in the 13th and 14th centuries. In part, these markets may be taken 

 to indicate the more thickly populated districts or those which were the 

 most convenient as business centres ; but, in part also, they seem to indicate 

 only royal grants to favoured subjects. Besides Bedford, three places — 

 Leighton Buzzard, Luton, and Arlesey — already had markets at the time of 

 the Domesday Survey, valued respectively at ^j, ^5, and \qs. annually. 

 Dunstable received its market from Henry I, when he founded the town. 

 Toddington (1218), Warden (1218), Ampthill (1219), Odell (1222), 

 Woburn (1242), and Aspley Guise (1267), received their market charters 

 from Henry III. Melchbourne had certainly received its market charter 

 before it received a fair charter in 1264. The market at Westoning dates 

 from 1304, Blunham 1315, Silsoe 13 19. No date is discoverable for Biggles- 

 wade market, the charter for which was probably given to one of the bishops 

 of Lincoln to whose see the manor was annexed by Henry I in 11 32."' 

 Shefford market — which still survives on a small scale — is ancient, and until 

 the beginning of the 1 9th century the fairs at Shefford attracted considerable 

 trade in sheep and cows. Harrold market, which has been practically for- 

 gotten for a long time, was ancient. Potton still has a market, which, 

 before the railways revolutionized the internal communication of the county,, 

 was widely known as a corn market. The date of its charter is forgotten, 

 but it is recorded to have been altered from Sunday to Saturday in 1203."* 

 Marston Moretaine and Sundon had markets in the 14th century, but 

 nothing is known of their charters. 



This mention of markets may be appropriately followed by a notice of 

 the frequent instances in which, during the 13th century, the traders of 

 Dunstable were fined for false weights and measures."* The zeal of the king's 

 officers in this respect suggests that the offence was a serious and inveterate 

 one, even in a town under the influence of a priory. In 1274, a deficiency 

 was discovered in all the bushels of the township, and the king's officers 

 ' gave us a new standard.' The township paid four marks for default. In 

 1275, the township was again fined because the brewers had not paid the 

 'assize.' The town was fined in 1277 for false weights; and the brewers 

 and bakers in 1290, 'but not,' adds the chronicler, 'the Prior and his 

 officers.' In 1293, it was not only for short weights that the town was fined, 

 but also for stinking meat. False measures were found again in 1295. 



The terrible visitation of the plague known as the Black Death in 1349—50 

 had far-reaching consequences. The immediate effect was the disappearance 

 of something like a third of the whole population of England. How far 

 Bedfordshire suffered it is impossible to say, but the number of deaths among 

 the clergy and heads of religious houses"^ indicates that the county bore its 

 share of the calamity. At Cranfield the tenant who had farmed the cows 

 died of the pestilence, no undergrowth was sold as there were no buyers, 

 because of the pestilence, and 52J. was entered as the value of the crops on 

 lands which had come into the lord's hands by the death of the villein 

 tenants."' An extent of the manor of Stevington made in 1350 shows the 



'" Dugdale, Mon. viii, 1271. "» Assize R. i, m. 5. 



"* Ann. Mon. (Rolls Ser.), iii, lub annit. "» r.C.H. Beds, i, 328. '" Mins. Accts. bdle. 74.0, no. 1 5 



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