Q.  At Maureuil, in the environs of Abbeville, a practice has long existed of hiring servants in the market place on festival days. I have observed the same custom in various parts of England, and particularly in the midland counties. Can any of your correspondents inform me of the origins of this?
W.J.

Source: Notes and Queries Vol. 2 (36) July 6 1850 Page 89

A.  It was provided by several old statutes, the first of which was passed in 1349, that all able-bodied persons who had no evident means of subsistence should put themselves as labourers to any that would fire them.

In the following year were passed several other acts relating to labourers, by one of which, 25 Edward III, stat. I, c, I, entitled, "The Year and Day's Wages of Servants and Labourers in Husbandry," it was enacted that ploughmen and all other labourers should be hired to serve for the full year, or other usual terms, and not by the day ; and further:

"That such labourers do carry openly in their hands, in market towns, their instruments of labour, and be there hired in a public place, and not privately."

For carrying into effect these provisions, it would be necessary to have certain days, and a fixed place set apart for the hiring of servants. In the former particular, no days would be so convenient as feast days: they were well known, and were days commonly computed from ; they were, besides, holidays, and days for which labourers were forbidden to receive wages (see 34 Edw. III, c., 10, and 4 Henry IV, c., 14); so that, although absent from labour, they would lose no part of the scanty pittance allowed them by act of parliament or settled by justices. As to the latter requirement, no place was so public, or would so naturally suggest itself, or be so appropriate, as the market-place.

Thus arose in our own land the custom respecting which W. J. makes inquiry, and also our statute fairs, or statutes ; thus called on account of their reference to the various "Statutes of Labourers." I was not aware that any usage to hire on all festivals (for to such, I take it, your correspondent refers) still existed in England. Etc
ARUN

Notes and Queries Vol. 2 (40) Aug 3 1850 Page 157

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