1280 Stourbridge Fair control by Town

In the late 13th Century (not 1280 precisely) the leper colony on the edge of Cambridge closed, and Stourbidge Fair was handed over to the Burgessses of Cambridge, who individually held rights to booths or stalls.

The Fair was held at a convenient time between harvest and ploughing, when there were crops to be sold, lesiure time, and money. Travel was also good at this time of year. As it was outside of term time, many tradesmen who would otherwise be engaged with University business could participate.

The rights proved to be very profitable and tensions developed between the University, which wanted to exert more control on behaviour, and the Burgesses who were in favour of expansion. Piepowder courts were held by the Town authorities to deal with minor nuisances.

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