fairs-msg - 10/2/10

Medieval fairs. Trade fairs. SCA events.

NOTE: See also the files: commerce-msg, holidays-msg, Yule-msg, coins-msg, measures-msg, p-prices-msg, occupations-msg, prostitution-msg.

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NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.

Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Date: Thu, 13 Jul 1995 17:48:02 -0500 (CDT)
From: "I. Marc Carlson" <IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu>
To: Ansteorra at eden.com
Subject: Notes on Fairs

According to THE FAIRS OF MEDIEVAL ENGLAND, AN INTRODUCTORY STUDY, by
Ellen Wedemeyer Moore (Toronto : Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies,
1985) The Fair's Owner puts on the Fair (the Owner can be anyone, but
usually is either a local Noble, or Royal representative) and shares with
the King the responsibility for maintaining the Peace.

The fairs discussed in this book are primarily the St. Giles and St. Ives fairs
in England, although there is some discussion of the Fairs of Champaigne and
others both insular and continental.

The Steward or the Keeper of the Fair (Custodes Nudinarum) or Justice of the
Pavilion was responsible for running the Fair's Courts (which were often actual
legal courts), and were assisted by 6-8 bailiffs as well as the
constabulary/footguards/watch.

Other tasks were the Keeper of the Tollgates (Toll seems to have only been really paid on merchandise, not people), Keepers of the Roads, the Keeper of Tron (the beam on which large purchases are weighed), Collector of Terrage (what Pensic refers to as the "Slumlords" and may have collected Seldage (or rents for the merchant's stalls as well)), as well as Keepers such as the Town Reeve (which may or may not be anything like the current Society Office) as well as the Wardens elected by the local Guilds to regulate the affairs of their guildmembers and visiting merchants at the fairs.  Finally are the keepers of the animals (one for "in the field" and another "in the fair")

Immeadiately assisting the Justice of the Pavilion were the Chamberlain of
Pavilion (Collected fines/ammercements of the Court), Usher/Porter of Pavilion,
Proclaimer of Banns/Marshall (Summoned the defendents and jurors to court, rode
through the camp declaring the nightime curfew, proclaimed the banns (such as on
open fires), proclaimed the fairs at other towns), and a Clerk of the Pleas.

"Mihi Satis Apparet Propter     Diarmuit Ui Dhuinn
  Se Ipsum Appetenda Sapientia"	University of Northkeep
 -- St. Dunstan			Northkeepshire, Ansteorra
				(I. Marc Carlson/IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu)


Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2000 15:49:24 EDT
From: BaronessaIlaria at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - Pennsic Bag Lunches

michael.gunter at fnc.fujitsu.com writes:
> But I wonder about a wandering food vendor along the sidelines.......

A few years back we did a "fair" type event complete with several Palios and 
othe activities, during which we had roaming vendors of cheese rolls and 
cheese/pepperoni rolls. They were insanely popular, sold like mad, and raked 
in a tidy little sum for the vendors.  As a sidelight of the food stand, this 
could be reasonably easy to do and go over well among the spectators of the 
Field Battle.

Ilaria


Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2000 20:02:18 GMT
From: "deborah minyard" <dminmin at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Pennsic Bag Lunches

Years ago at Pennsic someone sent kids out hawking sausage rolls thoughout 
the merchant area, They seemed to sell quite well

Maddalena


Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2000 13:06:43 +1000
From: "Lee-Gwen Booth" <piglet006 at globalfreeway.com.au>
Subject: Re: SC - Pennsic Bag Lunches
From:  Ilaria

> A few years back we did a "fair" type event complete with several Palios and
> other activities, during which we had roaming vendors of cheese rolls and
> cheese/pepperoni rolls.

Even at our little events down here in Tassie, I find that a roaming Turkish delight/syrup seller can do a roaring trade.  People like it when snack food comes to them (although, I don't do badly when we have a Merchant's Row setup - and I don't end up paying a commission to my young sellers!).  I really think that this is the sort of service which could do quite well at something like Pennsic (not that I have ever been to it - or anything like it.  *sigh*)

Gwynydd


Date: Tue, 04 May 2010 10:32:11 +0930
From: Margareta Nicholas <viscountess at optusnet.com.au>
Subject: [Lochac] Renaissance Festival Books
To: "The Shambles, the SCA Lochac mailing list" <lochac at sca.org.au>

Something I came across while researching processional entries.  The 
British Library has digital copies of whole books on the subject at 
http://www.bl.uk/treasures/festivalbooks/homepage.html

Ingerith


Date: Tue, 04 May 2010 06:44:28 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Fwd: [Lochac] Renaissance Festival Books

I've mentioned the books in the past. (Also there are a number up at
the web archive.)
Back in 2006

Continuing along where I left off last evening, you might like
this online source from the British Library.

Treasures in Full. Renaissance Festival Books.
'Read Renaissance and Early Modern festival books on your desktop now

View 253 digitised Renaissance festival books (selected from over 2,000
in the British Library's collection) that describe the magnificent
festivals and ceremonies that took place in Europe between 1475 and 1700
- marriages and funerals of royalty and nobility, coronations, stately
entries into cities and other grand events."

http://www.bl.uk/treasures/festivalbooks/homepage.html

What is a festival book?
http://www.bl.uk/treasures/festivalbooks/basics.html

Examples-- http://www.bl.uk/treasures/festivalbooks/italy.html

Johnnae llyn Lewis

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Edited by Mark S. Harris	fairs-msg	Page 3 of 3