Although the days are getting shorter and the nights are most certainly getting colder, it is not yet quite feeling Christmassy. We are, however, right in the thick of Mop Fair season. What is now a child’s delight, filled with ferris wheel rides, toffee apples and hot chocolate, used to be a means to make a living.
Mop Fairs were first introduced by King Edward III in the 14th Century, following the Black Death and the subsequent diminishment of the labour market. The fairs would run in town centres for two days every October, to mark the end of the labouring period. Labourers of all ilk would attend in hopesof finding an employer for their next year of work.
It was traditional for the workers to wear their best clothes and carry an item that signified their trade. Shepherds held crooks, dairy maids held stools and those of no particular skill held mops, hence the name: Mop Fairs.
If successful, employees would be gifted a coloured ribbon to be worn to display their newfound employment as well as money to spend during the fair. Traditional Mop Fairs had various food stalls and traditional games such as target shooting – think a modern job fair crossed with a carnival.
A labourer would initially be hired for a two-week trial period. Traditionally two-weeks later a further Runaway Mop Fair would be held for employers to reconsider their choices or rehire other staff in necessary.
Come the 19th century the hiring function of Mop Fairs had evaporated into a series of fairground rides, roasted chestnuts, and tomfoolery, much more reminiscent of a modern-day fair you will find in the coming weeks. Mop Fairs are still deeply rooted into British culture, with a tradition that has lasted for nearly 700 years, they can be found across the UK just in time for some family fun in the winddown after the conference period.
