It was the Romans who introduced markets and fairs into Britain, trying to encourage an established form of trade. The need to trade and the difficulties of distribution and communication meant it was essential to create seasonal gathering places for the exchange of goods and news. Gradually, after the Norman Conquest, most were regularised by charters granted by the Crown. It is now exactly 750 years since Henry III granted Ilkeston a charter to hold an annual fair and market. The modern Charter Fair is the consolidation of three events that were held in the town up until 1888. The original Charter Fair, held on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in August, was intended to celebrate the end of harvest season. It would mainly have been for trading but the festivities were also associated with Holy days. The second event, Wakes Week, an annual religious celebration, was held on the Sunday after October 11. The third event was the Statutes Fair, which was held on the last Thursday in October and dated back to the 14th century and the passing of the Statute of Labourers in 1351 by Edward III. Because Ilkeston was an agricultural area, the best time for holding a Statutes or Hiring Fair was in October. But by the mid 19th century, the hiring function of the fair had been overtaken by the entertainment element and the fair had spilled over
Ilkeston Fair History Pics
View our gallery of Ilkeston and Ilkeston Fair - from current, past and far past
from the Market Place into South Street, Pimlico, the Harrow Inn yard and the old Stack yards off Bath Street. These 19th century fairs saw a motley assembly of midgets, marionettes, swing boats, shooting galleries, waxworks and steam-driven juvenile horses. In 1888 the August fair, Wakes Week and the Statutes Fair were combined to make one event, and now the Charter Fair officially runs from the first Thursday following Wakes Sunday in Wakes Week. In recent years the fair has been opened to the public on the Wednesday before the official opening by the Mayor of Erewash on the following day. The reason for the amalgamation seems to be that all three events were not popular enough separately to ensure their continued existence. The Victorian era signified a new lease of life for the town's fair and set the standard for the great event that it is today. Asthe fair moved into the 20th Century it continued to grow apace. In 1908 during fair week there were 48,650 people
