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Frederick William Hackwood's Wednesbury Papers (1884)

III.

WEDNESBURY WAKE

 
ORIGIN OF FAIRS

WALKING THE FAIR

THE MARKET CHARTER

THE TERM "WAKE"

THE BEADLE SUPERSEDED

 

COLLECTION OF TOLLS

BULL BAITING

 

 

ORIGIN OF FAIRS

IN olden times when regular communication between producers and consumers was imperfectly established, fairs were of immense importance, and the greatest part of the trade of that time was carried on by their means. They were specially provided for in the charters of all large towns (therefore called statutes), and once a year, or oftener, traders came flocking to them from the remote districts. The first charter relating to Wednesbury was one of Henry III, whereby the chapel of Wednesbury (supposed to have been erected just previously, about 1216) was granted to the Abbey of Hales Owen for ever. Now, although the connection between these fairs and the church was a peculiarly close one, as will be seen further on, still it would be difficult to prove that Wednesbury Wake was instituted by charter. The only Wednesbury charter having direct reference to fairs, is the market charter granted to John Hoo, Esq., Lord of the Manor in the reign of Queen Anne, and which is dated 9th of July, 1709. From this document we gather that Her Majesty did "grant tou our beloved and faithful John Hoo, of Bradley, in ye county aforesaid, Esq., sergeant-at-law, license that he and his heirs might have and hold, at Wednesbury, otherwise Wedgebury, in ye county aforesaid, two fairs or marts, yearly, for ever (that is to say) one of ye said fairs upon ye 25th of April, and ye other on ye 23rd of July....for ye bringing and selling of all and all manner of cattle and beasts, and all manner of goods, wares, and merchandizes, commonly bought and sold in fairs or marts.'

To such commercial gatherings as these, did the producers and consumers of the middle ages resort once a year, or oftener, if opportunity served. At the fair-time the buyers would lay in a stock of commodities large enough to suffice till the next fair came round ; the monasteries and abbeys would lay in their stores of wax for the altars, and a stock of malt for their breweries, and in these two articles of commerce the merchants at Wednesbury fair would drive a brisk trade with the monasteries of Hales Owen and Sandwell. Another class of profitable customers would be the agents of the neighbouring nobles, on the look out for brass vessels and pottery, wares inthe production of which ancient Wednesbury was not behindhand. General trade would be conducted by merchants from distant parts, who would display plate and jewels, spices and wine, and offer horses, cattle, corn, and every commodity bought and sold in mediæval times. Wednesbury Wake lasted a week ; but most of these institutions, including our own degenerated during later times (as commercial towns sprang into existence) into mere pleasure-fairs ; they changed their character so completely as not only to be now unnecessary, but highly objectionable. In some countries this change of purpose has not yet occured, as at Novgorod, in Russia, for instance, an annual fair of several weeks' duration is still attended by an immense concourse of traders, whose only opportunity it is of transacting the important trade of a very extensive district.


THE TERM "WAKE" 

As we have already intimated, there was a connection between these Wakes and the church. The Wake was nothing more nor less than the annual celebration of the dedication of the Parish Church, and as St. Bartholomew was selected as the patron saint of Wednesbury, Wednesbury Wake consequently began on St. Bartholomew's day, the 24th August. The word "wake" itself is traceable to the fact that certain persons kept watch or "wake" in the church all the preceding night - the vigil of the feast. In consequence of the abuses in consecrated ground, these fairs were suppressed, according to Spelman, in the 13th year of Edward III. - "And the Kynge commandeth and forbiddeth that from henceforth, neither Fairs and Markets shall be kept in Churchyards, for honour of the Church. Given at Westminster VIII of Octobre, the XIII yeare of Kynge Edwarde's reigne." For in the lapse of time, day revelry succeeded night watching, and so disgraceful became the conduct of the multitude, that the Wake was removed from the precincts of the church to the Market Place. The enterprising spirit of an instinctively commercial people would no doubt be accountable for the seizure of such opportunities for trading, as was afforded by the assemblage of vast concourses of holiday-makers at these times ; and if no royal charter can be produced for the holding of Wednesbury Wake, it must be remembered that the acquiescence of the Lord of the Manor would be sufficient to foster the growth of these meetings ; and such countenance would not be likely to be withheld if toll and tallage would be likely to accrue from them, to the increase of manorial income.

But, it will be asked, how is it that the Wake of later times was held on, or after, the 4th of September, and that the lesser fairs were also changed in like manner, the one from the end of April to the beginning of May, and the other from the end of July to the commencement of August ? Well, it happened in this wise. In 1751, after great inconvenience had been experienced for nearly two centuries from our difference of reckoning with other European countries, and Act was passed (24 Geo. II.) for equalising the style of Great Britain and Ireland with that of Europe generally. It was enacted that 11 days should be omitted after 2nd September, 1752, so that the ensuing day, the 3rd, should be called the 14th. Applying this rule, we find the following dates to be identical : Aug. 24 - Sep. 4, the old style denoting the original date of the Wake, and the new style the date on which it was held at the time of its suppression.


COLLECTION OF TOLLS 

In 1848 the Wake tolls were the cause of some legal proceedings ; this cannot be wondered at after the consideration we have just to the probable irregularity and unconstitutional origin of these imposts. It would seem that owing to one Thomas Tibbetts having combined the two offices of constable and collector of tolls, a complication arose, when, in 1845, he ceased to exercise the function of the former office. It had long been the custom for the parish constable to collect small tolls and gratuities from showmen and stall-people standing in the Wake, and to pay over these sums to the treasurer of the parish Sunday Schools. Tibbetts, however, when he ceased to act in the capacity of the constable endeavoured to establish his right, as collector of market tolls, to the Wake tolls. Now just previous to the Wake of 1848 the authorities instructed the police that no large booths were to be erected in the Market Place ; but there, on the Wake Monday morning, sure enough, a large travelling theatre was found to be in course of erection. This booth was the property of one John Douglas, master of a company of strolling players, and afterwards the builder and proprietor of the Wednesbury Theatre Royal. After some demur on the part of the authorities, the erection of the show was allowed to be proceeded with ; but a test case was instituted against Tibbetts for obtaining money under false pretence, he having candidly admitted that Douglas had paid him £5 for the privelege of building in the Market Place. A summons, dated September 11th, 1848, was issued against Tibbetts, and signed by that autocratic vicar, the Rev. Isaac Clarkson, who was presiding magistrate when the case came on. The evidence of Mr. Joseph Smith, churchwarden and member of the Board of Surveyors, was to the effect that Tibbetts, in 1845, had only paid over part of the tolls for the use of the schools, and had been allowed to retain the other part to his own use. Mr. Joseph Dawes, as constable of the Leet denied that he had given to Tibbetts any authority to collect the Wake tolls, but admitted that in previous years it was known to him that Tibbetts had collected them, because in so doing, he had forestalled him (Mr. Dawes). The result may be guessed ; as there was no proof that any fraud had been practised, but that Tibbetts had been mistaken in supposing that he had a right to these tolls, the case was dismissed.


WALKING THE FAIR 

At the Wake some half-century ago there prevailed the custom of "walking the fair," the principal figure in the ceremony being the Parish Beadle. (A member of a family named Harrison held this office for so many years, that this important functionary was better known as "Sam the Biddle," the head of that family, generally succeeding to the said office, and to the baptisimal name of Samuel, as a matter of course. Indeed, the recognition of hereditary office-holding in Wednesbury may be inferred when it is mentioned that only within the last few months the present representative of that family - Samuel by name - has for a small consideration relinquished the last relic of the family's former greatness - the right to the pinfold dues, which have now become the property of the Local Board).


THE BEADLE SUPERSEDED 

On the first morning of the Wake, the Beadle, in the full uniform of Bumbledom, including a liberal display of gold lace, and the usual awe-inspiring cocked hat, which on these great occasions were further enhanced by the addition of streaming ribbons, appeared early on the scene in the Market Place, wielding in one hand his town crier's bell, and in the other an ancient-looking weapon, half spear and half pike, whose sanguinary appearance was somewhat minimised by a decoration of fringe. He at once proceeded to marshal his procession, which usually consisted of the choice spirits of the town, and sometimes included the officers of the Court Leet ; occasionaly a band of music accompanied them. Headed by the Beadle, a parade was made of all the thoroughfares in which the fair was held, and which included the main High Street from the High Bullen to the Bridge, and also the commencement of the Walsall Road in the [sic] which the Cattle Market was held, and where till within living memory stout iron rings were fixed in the ground for securing the beasts exposed for sale. It may here be recorded incidentally, that when the rise of Wolverhampton and Walsall markets began to detract from the importance of our local fair, the Wednesbury people patriotically attempted, though without success, to prevent the live-stock trade slipping away from the town by offering prizes for the best beasts exposed for sale at Wednesbury Wake. But to return to the procession. It must not be omitted to mention that the most important part of the ceremony was the halting of the procession to drink tankards of ale at certain well-known hostelries on the line of march ; and the whole business ended by these perambulating worthies dining together at some convenient Inn, at the expense of the parish. Now a custom with so much to recommend it to the high feeding and hard-drinking proclivities of old "Wedgebury folk" was gard to relinquish ; and when, with the march of enlightenment, the time came for such a sacrifice on the part of official Wednesbury, a band of irresponsible loafers were not slow to appear on the scene as champions of this ancient rite. Chief among these Wedgebury patriots was a bandy-legged individual, known as Luke Saint, and who was for several years afterwards installed, by a retinue of boon companions, in the post vacated by the Beadle. Bestriding a donkey bedecked in ribbons and green-stuff he solemnly took upon himself the ancient duties of proclaiming the fair. At first the expenses of the pageant, a large item of which was the cost of unstinted and apparently inexhaustible dinners, were met by levying a kind of blackmail on the not unwilling innkeepers and tradespeople ; but when, as naturally would happen in the course of years, this source of income failed, a novel expedient was had recourse to on the last occasion of this fated revival. This ingenious and impecunious fraternity hired an old stable which then stood at the lower end of the Market Place, and to this place by dint of hard shouting and clamorous din, they invited the gaping holiday-makers of a crowded Wake, there to see the "greatest living curiosity of the age, a horse with his tail where his head should be !" The payment of a small sum for admission discovered to the gulled and wondering sight-seers an old horse with his tail in the manger !


BULL BAITING 

This enterprising band of adventurers were also the champions of bull-baiting, another institution that was beginning to decline before the advance of public opinion. Having got themselves into trouble by taking a bull to Lichfield, oblivious of the fact that the scope of authority in a city was very different from the loose jurisdiction exercised in a township like Wednesbury, they commemorated the event, after the manner of those days in a ballad, the singing of which was supposed to be an incentive to every advocate of the "noble sport," to resist its extinction. The refrain of this soul-stirring song was

  "Success unto you Wedgebury lads,
.....Wherever you may be ;
.Who took a bull to Green Hill Wake,
.....To stir up mirth and glee."

In those days a bull-baiting was an integral part of Wednesbury Wake, and the "sport" was usually held on the High Bullen ; hence the name of that thoroughfare. It was not till bull-baiting was in its decline that this pastime was removed to private ground ; in the same manner the Wake itself in course of time began to desert the extreme points of those roads we have indicated, and to concentrate its location around the Market Place ; and one of the first available spots called into requisition for this purpose was the beautiful green field at the back of the Green Dragon Inn, and now known as the Back Field. The proceedings of a bull-baiting were sometimes varied by the infuriated animal drawing the stake, and rushing pell-mell among the crowd ; and when the course of his flight took the line of stalls, the scene of confusion and panic may be better imagined than described. But in those rollicking times this change of programme was regarded as part of the diversions. Certainly there was one useful purpose which the bull served ; when the end of a week of debauchery had almost exhausted the family exchequer, it was conveniently opportune to be able to buy a bit of beef cheap - the baited bull being generally cut up on the Thursday.


THE MARKET CHARTER 

The Wake having outlived its purpose, and having no redeeming feature left, unless an extravagant display of ruinous hospitality can be so denominated, it was resolved by the Local Board to suppress this annual carnival. A proclamation, signed by Right Hon. Robt. Lowe, Home Secretary, put a legal end to Wednesbury Wake, the last celebration being held in September, 1873. For several succeeding years, attempts have been made to revive the Wake with all its stalls and steam-horses, swing-boats, bazaars, and booths, and private ground has been let for this purpose ; but robbed of its official sanction, shorn of most of its attendant glories, and ignored as a holiday by the schools of the town, it is gradually but surely dying out, and soon will be nothing more than a mere memory of the past.

[Concerning the origin of Wednesbury Fairs and Markets a few more words will be necessary.


The highest legal authority is to the following effect :- "Markets and Fairs were originally set up by virtue of a grant from the Crown, or by virtue of long and immemorial usage and prescription, which presupposes a grant ; or are established by Act of Parliament" -(2 Coke's Institutes, 220).

Wednesbury has long claimed and exercised the privilege of holding a market ; but no documentary warrant was held for this privilege until John Hoo became possessed of the Manor. Seeing the vulnerability of his position, and being a lawyer, he set the law in motion to remedy the defect in his claims. By virtue of a writ of "Ad quod damnum" the Sheriff of the County held an Inquisition at King's Swinford, at which the astute lawyer either "presupposed a grant," or in some other manner so satisfied the Inquiry as to the merits of his claim, that in a few weeks afterwards a Charter was granted by Her Gracious Majesty Queen Anne "to her well-beloved John Hoo" to hold two fairs annually, and also a market "on Friday in every week forever."

The market seems to have flourished most in the mediæval period. Towards the close of the last century its importance had much declined ; a writer of that period says that "Wedgebury is a market-town" which seems "to have passed through some strange vicissitudes." Of late years the nature of the market has visibly altered. It formerly began very early in the morning, when the Lichfield and Dudley gardeners and fruiterers used to arrive at eight o'clock ; now the business does not begin till noon ; and dry goods preponderate, to the exclusion of the garden produce of former days.

Lewis' Topographical Dictionary, 1831 says :- "Fairs are held here May 6th and August 3rd, for the sale of cattle."]