Monument record 5975/2 - West Haddon Market

The right to hold a weekly market and a annual fair for three days on the eve, day and morrow of the Invention of the Holy Cross at West Haddon was granted to the prior and convent of Daventry. The right was upheld in 1275-6, against a challenge by the Borough of Northampton, citing a charter of Edward I. Subsequently, in 1292 the day of the market was changed to a Thursday at the instance of the Earl of Lincoln. The rights to hold a market and fair were again upheld in 1330.

{1} A triangular field is called Market Field; this may be land on or near to where the market may have been held.

{2} Brief synopsis of market history:
Existed by 1275-6 when claimed by charter of Edward I.
1292 charter grant Thursday market representing a change of day.
Fair Invention of the Cross
existed 1330
existed temp Hen VIII
Lapsed in C17th
Revival attempt early C18th and did function in 1720.
In the mid C16th the market and fair were still being held. They lapsed in the C17th but were revived in the early C18th. The market is described by Bridges as having been transferred to West Haddon from Welford in about 1715 but says that in 1720 it was ‘an inconsiderable mercate upon Thursday weekly’ and ‘of no hope or account with traders’. There was a field called Market Field in 1932 at the northern edge of the village and another called Market Home south east of the village, but it is likely that this was the site of the latest market and that the medieval market was held within the settlement core.
West Haddon is not well documented in the medieval or post medieval period and very little evidence related to the functioning of the market or to the historical topography of the village were found. The settlement is also intensively built up within the settlement core and so only a very limited archaeological potential was to be expected, especially given the very modest scale of the commercial activity that is likely to have taken place there. The site was not therefore examined in detail in the EUS.

<1> CHAPMAN A., 1998, Archaeological Evaluation of Land Along the Proposed Route of the A428, West Haddon Bypass, (checked) (Report). SNN43964.

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

Record last edited

Mar 3 2020 2:40PM