Loddon's Market Charter
Our grateful thanks to Loddon History Group for providing Loddon Town Council with information relating to Loddon's Market Charter and a copy of the Market Charter from 1306. The Market Charter can be downloaded free of charge from the National Archives (reference number below).
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A copy of the Market Charter can be viewed by clicking on this link.
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The 1845 Whites Directory states:
The Chief Manor was granted by Roger Bigod Earl of Norfolk to John Segrave,
on condition that he should serve him with 6 knights, as well in time of peace as war, for the term of his whole life.
John Segrave obtained for it a charter for a Market and Fair in the 28th of Edward 1.(bet Oct 1244-Oct 1245).
The Market held every Tuesday, for corn and the fairs, for stock on Easter Monday, and the first Monday after Nov 22nd
A Hiring Session is held at Old Michaelmas. This is mostly repeated in the 1864 White's Directory. The market is held every Tuesday for corn sheep and fairs for stock on Easter Monday, and the first Monday after Nov 22.
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A copy of the Market Charter is held by:
The National Archives, Kew
Special Collections: records of various departments, arranged according to type
Date: 1306
Reference: SC 8/275/13730
Subjects: Trade and commerce
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MARKET CHARTER
A market charter is a legal document that historically granted the right to hold a regular market in a particular town or area. These charters were typically issued by a monarch or governing authority and date back to medieval times in many countries. The charter allowed the town to hold a market on specific days and sometimes even regulated the goods that could be sold, tolls to be collected, and the rules for market conduct.
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Key purposes of a market charter:
1. Economic Boost: It gave a town the exclusive right to host a market, boosting trade and commerce in the area.
2. Legal Protection: It protected the town from competition by preventing nearby settlements from holding markets on the same day.
3. Regulation: The charter often included rules on the size, scope, and frequency of the market.
In modern times, the concept of market charters is often more ceremonial or traditional, but some towns still operate markets based on historic charters.