Clock-times in early sixteenth-century market-regulation at Guildford

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Introduction

Alongside churches, markets were a key site for the use of clock-times. The timing of markets had long been organised using the canonical (service) hours of monastic time, but specification of market times switched relatively rapidly to clock-times once mechanical timekeepers were available. This was happening in major urban centres like London, Bristol, and York during the fourteenth century, and has often been treated as a distinctive feature of large cities. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that clock-times were familiar in the everyday life of small market centres that dotted the English landscape.

One example comes from Guildford in Surrey, in the early sixteenth century a small market town of perhaps ____ inhabitants. Among local manorial courts, the court leet oversaw the operation of Guildford’s weekly market, as it had since its foundation in ____.

Like other medieval markets, the Guildford court leet specified when who could trade and when the market should open, gave householders first access to grain ahead of buying by traders; and forebade buying-up and re-selling (‘forestalling’). Clock-times appear in various regulations, dealt with in a pragmatic tone that illustrates clock-time’s familiarity to the regulators, and presumed clarity among traders and consumers alike.

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Transcript

(________, _., ed. Guildford Borough Records, 1514-1546, Surrey Records Society, volume 24 (London, 1958), pp.18-19, 22-23.)

Monday after St Hilary, 17 Hen.8 (15 January 1526)

Md. It is agreed by the hole Concentt of the ma[s]tre and his brethern that all maner of persons that wyll or schall occupye or resorte unto this markett on the markett daye or markett dayes as well artifficers & occupyeres as vitallares schall kepe theyr or here every markett daye at the oure of x of the clokke before Noone on the same daye to begynne theyre oppen markett & to contynewe the hole markett from that sayed oure unto the oure of Twoo of the clokke at after Noone on the same daye thai acte to contynewe for ever butt yf there be a Consideracon to the Contrarye.

Monday after St Hilary, 20 Hen.8 (18 January 1529)

[A Proclamation against Forestallyng]

...... that no man forestall the market that is to Sey that no man lye in awayte nygh the towne or the Townes ende or by Ony maner of vitalles fisshe flesshe fowle Or Corn in comynge to the market unto suche tyme it be comyn and brought in to the open market and than to by in the open market every man for hys owne expences and that no comon pulter by ant maner of vitelles in the market before the howre of xj of the clocke on the market day upon payne of forfyture of as moche vitelles as he byith. And his body to be punysshed by the discrecon of the mayre and his bretheryn And to make grevous fyne as often as ony suche offendyth.

For bakers

...... Also that no baker as well dwellynge within the seid towne as withowt Bargyn nother bye no maner Corn within the seid towne upon the market daye nother withowte the said towne comyng towardes the market untill the howre of xj of the clocke of the same daye upon payne of forfyture of all the Corn he byith and his bodye to be prysoned and to make grevous fyne.

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Monday after St Hilary, 26 Hen.8 (18 January 1535)

it is aggreede at this daye by the hole assentt of the master mayre & his breterne that William Bromeall grocer schall use unto this markett & all other occupyers straungers schall use unto this markett the markett dayes as they have used in tyme passed so that he or thei every of theyme shett uppe & avoyed by the owre of ij of the clocke at after noone of the same daye uppon payne of forffayture xijd. to the hall

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