Medieval Tiverton

Fairs were light relief in hard medieval life
7 October 2008
Mid Devon Gazette

Tiverton travelled back in time when residents and traders dressed in medieval costume. The occasion was the 750th anniversary of the establishment of a weekly market and an annual fair, made by a royal grant on December 28, 1257. That first fair was held between July 24 and 26, the 25th being the feast-day of St James the Apostle.

But what else do we know about the fairs of medieval Tiverton? Historian Mike Sampson, author of A History of Tiverton told the Gazette: "Soon after this grant, other fairs came to be held in the town, and by the late 1300s the feast days of St Andrew, St Thomas the Apostle, the Translation of St Thomas the Martyr and St Giles were similarly marked. A fair was also held at Easter when a 'prisemayde' was chosen. However, by the early 1800s, the number of fairs had dwindled to just two - one at Midsummer, the other at Michaelmas. The dates on which the events were held also changed, until in 1869 they were fixed at the first Thursday in June and the first Thursday in October, as they remain to this day."

Another tradition which has continued is the reading out of a proclamation before the opening of the fair. Many generations of children have gathered in the town centre to take part in the ceremony where they collect coins thrown into the crowd by mayors and councillors, but the exact origins of this practice are unclear. Mike said: "No-one knows how old the custom of throwing coins for the children is, but it is clear how much the children still enjoy this part of the proceedings."

As part of the week of Charter 750 celebrations, Mr Sampson gave a talk in the town hall entitled Medieval Tiverton. A companion piece to this lecture was given in the library by Brain Jenkins, the chairman of Tiverton Civic Society, who also explored what life would have been like in medieval Tiverton.

The imposing spectacle of Tiverton Castle would have dominated and dwarfed the town in medieval times. It was originally built in 1106 by Richard de Redvers on the orders of Henry I. The de Redvers were the first Earls of Devon and when their line died out in 1293, the castle passed to another branch of the family, the Courtnays. It was Richard de Redvers' son, Baldwin, who was responsible for the unique arrangement whereby Tiverton was administered in four separate portions; Clare, Pitt, Tidcombe and Prior, and remained so until the 19th century.

Big changes were taking place right across the country at the time the Royal Charter was awarded to Tiverton. Brian said: "To understand what happened in the 13th century, one has to understand the background of rising population and the need for more arable land for food to feed these people. People went out into the hills around Tiverton and many of the present farms around Tiverton were first settled in this era. This was a period of expansion, not just in England, but in Europe too; a time of great trading and of much building of ecclesiastical centres."

Mr Jenkins said it was difficult to get a clear picture of the size of Tiverton during the Middle Ages, but taxation records did provide some answers. He said: "A King always needed money, particularly for troops, and from Edward I's time, you get this money coming from subsidies or taxes. Permission for these taxes had to be given by parliament."

Mr Jenkin said a document survived giving a list of families in Tiverton who qualified to contribute to the King's war chest from 1332. More than 100 families are listed, including a number of family names which are still familiar today. This was believed to be a high point in the town's population, which would not reach the same level again until around 1500, due to the dramatic impact of the Black Death, which visited Tiverton between 1348 and 1350.

According to Brian: "The Middle Ages were not only a time of shortage and a low standard of living, where life was 'nasty, brutish and short' in Hobbes phrase, it was also communal, with people living closely together. We wouldn't survive longer than a week in medieval times, with the disease and the filthy water."

He said it could also be argued that the Black Death did help ferment a "nascent national identity" and changed people's way of thinking. "Life seemed more precarious and the will of God more mysterious. There was an explosion in saint worship, the cult of the virgin, and an amazing outburst of church building."

These churches provide a great legacy from the Middle Ages, Brian believes, and he hopes the wonderful churches around the town will continue to be maintained for many years to come.