As most people lived in the country, and grew their own food and made their own clothes, they needed places close enough to heard the animals and carry their wares to the market, and close enough to return home in the same day, Cross roads and river bridges where the most ideal.  Crafts people found the need to build their workshops close to the market places.  This helped villages and towns to grow. Sunday grew to be a popular day for the markets. Folk could attend church, then attend the market, to sell, or trade, and socialise. Markets where not only run by local people but also by Churches, Monasteries, Noble lords, Barons, and in some countries by the Rulers. Sometimes Shelter were built with crosses (Market crosses) on them for market traders. * When I lived in Winsford Cheshire, there was a place set side from the main shopping area that became alive only on weekends, rows upon rows of stalls would flourish in colour and noise. This market was run by the local council, the stall where not removed during the week and they all had covers. It shows how much we carried on from the medieval days to the now present time. Those unable to afford a stall sold their items from baskets or spread cloths on the floor and spread their items out for display. As Markets grew bigger, they attracted people from far away. Some people spent their entire life travelling to one market to the next. (A pedlar) Soon Market day become full of not only people trading, but also full of Minstrels, performing animals, and other entertainers. Horse and carts became a regular site. Bartering became less and money soon took its place, the most common coin was the silver penny.

Measurements were used. The following is an example I found in a book by Barry steel.

Lengths were measured in inches. One inch was the length of three grains of barley laid end to end.

Feet. The length of a man's foot.

Yards. The distance between the end of a mans nose and the thumb of his out stretched arm

Liquids. Were measured in gallons Quarts about a litre Pints about 0.5 litres.

Goods were weighed on a balance scale using pound weights (0.5 kilograms) ounces and grams. In the well-organised markets men were paid to check on weights, measurements, and scales, to catch those trying to cheat the customers, and to also check the quality of goods. There were special market courts where dishonest traders were tried. Some of the punishments for the guilty were a day in the stocks or pillory. Where people would pelt them with rotten fruit and veg or other rubbish. A butcher or a fish monger caught and tried for cheating customers might be pulled through the market on a sledge with a piece of stinking fish or meat around their necks.

Special Markets were set up all over Europe as town folks wished more and better goods. They were designed so people could buy and sell just one particular kind of items. Town's people could not keep enough animals for meat, as they needed so special livestock markets developed, were animals where brought and sold Large animals were driven to the market by foot even from long distances as they where impossible to bring by wagon. * I remember visiting a animal market once or twice as a child I can still know as writing this remember the stench, and the noise of these places. I'm lucky as the ones I visited did not have meat hanging on hooks and if they did indeed slaughter the animals there I had no knowledge of it. To this day if I walked in to a cow farm or even stop near a cow paddock the first thing to spring to mind is the animal market. The most Famous English Live stock Market was at Smithfield London. It started in about 1200 as a horse farm; it still exists today but does not deal in live animals. Wool markets were among the most important markets of the middle ages. A wool market in one of the French town of Calais was called the "staple" all English wool sent abroad was sold there.  In Alkmaar a place in Holland there was a famous cheese market. Round cheese shaped like cannonballs were carried about on things looking like stretches the porters wore a special uniform. Convent Gardens in London had a special fruit and vegetable market, which began as a small market were the monks of St. Peters Abbey sold their spare fruit and vegetables.   London also had a special fish market at Billingsgate. Fish were kept alive in cages, hung in the river until they were sold. This meant the fish bought was always fresh.

Medieval Fairs

Medieval Fairs were much bigger than the markets and happened a lot less, once or twice a year, and could last several days.  Town councils had to pay for the right to run a fair, some Fairs were organised by the church. * Some fairs are still run by Churches, I have plenty of childhood memories of attending such markets and pelting my brothers with soggy sponges as they stood in the stocks raising money for the church.  People came from far away countries and so did traders. Some Merchants spent their lives travelling huge distances on foot or horseback from one fair to the next. The wares varied from markets also. You were more likely to find precious metals and stones, silk, spices, and perfumes from distant countries at fairs. Also the entertainment was much more than the markets. Acrobats, fire-eaters, sword-swallowers, ropewalkers, theses were more the kind of people that made a living from travelling from one fair to another performing. Some times performing animals and people came from other countries; the most popular being the dancing bears and monkeys. Wrestling and jousting events were also held at some fairs. As time moved on Fairs became more of an entertainment event, making the selling side less and less, till they have become what they are today.

A note from my Dad after reading this:

Golden Ball (hotel) in Poulton le Fylde had a cattle market at the rear and the pub/hotel could be open all day selling drink and food on market days. This market had been there since medieval times.  He has reason to believe that now this is a car park. (Did we really need another car park?!)

 

Ash 2004.