St James’s Fair, Bristol, 1137 - 1837

St James’s Fair was the first, and for seven hundred years the most famous of Bristol’s fairs.

At its height, it drew traders from all over England, and the rich cargoes destined for it were a magnet for pirates.

Even at the end it still prospered, albeit more for pleasure than business; and it was the dubious moral character of those pleasures rather than financial failure which brought about its closure. Dr Bettey supplies a richly documented account.

About the Author

Dr Joseph Bettey was formerly Reader in Local History at the University of Bristol. He is the author of numerous books and articles on various aspects of the history of Bristol and the West Country.  Recent publications include Wiltshire Farming in the Seventeenth Century (2005), Archive & Local History in Bristol & Gloucestershire (2007) and Records of Bristol Cathedral (2007). His titles in this ALHA series are The Medieval Friaries, Hospitals and Chapelries of Bristol,  From Catholic Devotion to Puritan Piety; Responses to the Reformation in the Avon Area 1530 – 1603,  Morning Stars of the Reformation: Early Religious Reformers in the Bristol Region and St James’s Fair, Bristol, 1137 – 1837.