Monument record 46/13 - Aynho Market

Aynho acquired an annual fair in 1207 and in 1324 it was granted a weekly market and a second annual fair. The market functioned for just a few decades. In 1621, the market was reinstated, but again failed after around 25 years.

{1} Aynho acquired a fair in 1207 and then in 1324 a market and a second fair. The market functioned for just a few decades, was never apparently of any great significance, always being overshadowed by the nearby medieval market towns of Brackley, Banbury and Deddington. The market was probably finally extinguished soon after 1349 as a result of the economic recession caused by the Black Death, if not before. The market was re-founded in 1621 by the Cartwright family, who had recently purchased the manor and were making sweeping changes in the village. The changes were intended to maximise the productivity of their estate and involved partial enclosure of the open fields as well an attempt to promote the development of Aynho as a market town. Ultimately these developments led to the creation of one of Northamptonshire’s great country houses and landscape parks. However the attempted urbanisation failed. Although Aynho market functioned for a few years it never managed to compete effectively with the well established nearby market towns and the market was abandoned sometime between 1643 and 1660.

The village was involved in market activity for no more than perhaps 25 or 30 years in the first half of the 14th and again in the first half of the 17th century and never appears at either time to have acquired any other attributes of urban status. The probable site of the market in front of the hall and church may be indicated by the presence of an isolated building on the waste on the earliest maps of the settlement, although if correct, the extent of the market place is still not clearly identifiable.

In 1207 the Hospital of St. James in Aynho was granted the right to hold an annual fair in the village on the feast of St. James for three days (July 24th - 26th). There is no indication of any further commercial development of the settlement during the 13th century. In 1323-4, for the sum of £10, John de Clavering obtained a grant of the right to hold a weekly market in Aynho, every Tuesday. The grant also allowed an annual fair to be held on the eve of St. Michael and for three days thereafter (28th September - 1st October). This was soon after the great famines which had caused a significant economic recession and population decline in the second decade of the century and this grant may perhaps be a reflection of the recovery seen in the economy in the second quarter of the 14th century. In 1329 his right to hold a market and fair was proven by reference to his market charter while his other privileges including a ducking stool, pillory and gallows were claimed by prescription. John was however found guilty of fining butchers and bakers convicted of giving short weight instead of using the pillory and tumbril (ducking stool) as required by statute and he had to pay a fine of half a mark to retain these rights.

Given the very late date of the granting of this market and the existence of an earlier extent for the manor which makes no reference to a market confirm that there was no market in the village before the 14th century. In 1330 Ralph Neville, overlord of Aynho, received confirmation of the 1323 grant. The market probably survived, like many others, until the arrival of the Black Death, being extinguished in the economic collapse of the 1350s and 1360s. It seems fairly clear that the market had gone by 1367 for it is not mentioned in the extent of the manor at the death of Ralph de Neville, at which time there were also 9 cottages in ruins. The market is thus likely to have flourished for little more than 20 or 30 years.

In the absence of significant medieval documentation there is no information to establish the degree to which Aynho was successful in competition with the well established nearby markets of Brackley, Banbury and the even closer market at Deddington. There is no evidence in the few surviving charters relating to Aynho for a range of non agricultural trades being present in the village in the 14th century, but in the absence of a comprehensive rental, such as that which survived for Barnwell, or of court rolls or account rolls, it is not possible to establish the degree to which commercial activity actually developed in Aynho over this short period. No evidence has been recovered in the 15th century documents or in the many charters, rentals and other documents of the 16th and early 17th century to indicate any survival of marketing activity in Aynho at this time.

Almost immediately upon acquiring the manor of Aynho in 1615 Richard Cartwright set about the reorganisation and development of his property, achieving partial enclosure of the parish, though failing to achieve total enclosure due to local opposition, and leasing out of copyholds to tenants at will so yielding much higher rents than the customary assize rent. The re-grant of the market at Aynho must be seen in this light, of a new landowner promoting the economic development of his estate. In 1621 Richard Cartwright was granted the right to hold a weekly market, on a Tuesday as had been the case in the 14th century, and two fairs, one renewing the medieval fair held on the eve of the feast of St. Michael and three days thereafter (28th September - 1st October), the other a wholly new fair on the Monday and Tuesday following the feast of Pentecost (Whit Sunday).

As part of his investment in the market Richard Cartwright appears to have built a market house. The first reference to the market house is not until 1660 when there was talk of using it to accommodate a new school. It was then described as having a good sized room on each floor but having no land attached to it which could be used for a school yard. The building still stood in the 1680s, when it was being used by a local farmer to keep lumber in, and in circa 1720 when Bridges was collecting information for his History. There was also a market cross in the village, but it is uncertain whether it was a new construction or had survived from the medieval period. However by 1720 it was said that the cross had long since been demolished.

The regulations for the market, recorded in 1624, survive for Aynho:

"Whereas the kinges most excellent majesty hath lately graunted to Richard Cartwright esq and his heires for ever, full and free licence, libertie, power, and autoritie, to hould and keepe within his mannor of Aynho, a weekely market every Tewesday, and two fayres every yeare, That is to say the one to bee held and kept upon this Michaelmas Eve and Michaelmas day and the other fayre, to bee held and kept upon the Munday and Tewesday in the Whitson weeke An his Majestie by his said graunt, doth give and graunte unto the said Richard Cartwright and his heires the benefitt of all liberties, free customes, Tolles, Stallages, Piccages, fines amerciaments and all other profits and comodities whatsoever, to the said feyres and Market belonginge, incident or appertayning, in as large and ample manner as other feyres and markets receive take and usually enjoye.

Also that noe manner of persons, shall buy any cattell and sell the same againe during the continuance of this present feyre, uppon payne of forfeiting the double value of the same cattell, soe bought and sould, accordinge to the statute in that case made and provided.

Alsoe that noe manner of person or persons what soever, shall use or put in practise forestalling regrating, or engrossing any kinde of victualls or other Marchandizes whatsoever which shall bee brought to this feyer upon the severall paines and forfeitures conteyned in the statute in that case made and provided.

Also that all manner of person and persons whatsoever that shall buy or sell, any horse mare colt or gelding within the feyer, the same shall bee bought and sould betweene the howeres of tenne of the clocke in the morninge and sonne setting, and they shall ride or leave the same horse, mare ,colt, or gelding, openly in the feyer by the space of one hower. And the buyer and seller shall enter the same in the Tolle booke kept for this feyer and markett according to the statute in that case made and provided under the severall paines and forfitures therein contayned.

Also that all manner of person and persons what soever, shall duely and orderly pay there tolle stallage piccage and other duties to feyers and marketts belonging accoring to the statute in that case made and provided, and upon the paynes and forfitures therein contayned. And the said Richard Cartwright by vertue of Authoritie to him given doth in his Majesties name straitlie charge and command, all manner of person and persons what soever to keepe his majesties peace, and that they not any of them, drawe any weapon or weapons to the breach of dsturbance of the same, duringe the time of this feyer now to bee held and kept uppon the paynes and penalties that may fall thereon.God Save the Kinge."

The market functioned for at least 25 years. Richard Cartwright sold corn at the market for a year or two following the grant, usually barley but only in small lots to the locals for malting. However he sold larger lots at Deddington and Brackley markets at the same time. The market was still functioning in 1643 when Aynho was described as ‘a market town called Ano on the hill’. However it had failed by 1660 for in that year the market house was considered for use as a new school, while John Bridges, writing in circa 1720, says that the market had been discontinued for sixty years or more. By the 1820s both the fairs had also ‘sunk into desuetude’.

{2} It acquired an annual fair in 1207 and in 1324 it was granted a weekly market and a second annual fair. The market functioned for just a few decades, being overshadowed by more successful markets in nearby towns, and probably ceased as a result of economic recession following famines and the Black Death.

[HER note 11/09/2013: Exact location of market and related fair at present unknown.]

<1> Taylor J.; Foard G.; Ballinger J., 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Overview, Appendix 2 (unchecked) (Report). SNN103118.

<2> OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNIT, 1999, Land at College Farm, Aynho, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Desk Based Assessment and Building Recording, p.4 (checked) (Report). SNN43379.

Record last edited

Sep 29 2020 10:07AM