Now! Then! The end of the horse trade at the Leeds winter fair

Excerpt

As regards business this fair was a decided failure. The transactions which took place in the cattle fair on the opening day (Monday) are not worth mentioning: we were informed by one farmer who has been in the habit of attending this fair for the last thirty years, that he had never witnessed a more indifferent show of lean beasts and calvers, and that those which changed hands went off at about cost price. A more beggarly set of horses could scarcely have been brought together, and a few were sold at corresponding prices. This yearly falling off in the show of horses at Leeds and other fairs in Yorkshire may, in some degree, be attributed to the general suspension of stage coaches in favour of railroads. The Leeds horse fair, after existing for a great number of years, may now be said to have almost died a natural death.

Order the book

Subscribe to the free daily email

To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations

Comment

Monday was the 9th.

Economic circumstances were pretty grim at the time, and I wonder here whether Baines’ Whiggish Mercury is scapegoating the railways to avoid criticising the government of his political ally, Lord Melbourne.

Something to say? Get in touch

Original

As regards business this fair was a decided failure. The transactions which took place in the cattle fair on the opening day (Monday) are not worth mentioning: we were informed by one farmer who has been in the habit of attending this fair for the last thirty years, that he had never witnessed a more indifferent show of lean beasts and calvers, and that those which changed hands went off at about cost price.

A more beggarly set of horses could scarcely have been brought together, and a few were sold at corresponding prices. This yearly falling off in the show of horses at Leeds and other fairs in Yorkshire may, in some degree, be attributed to the general suspension of stage coaches in favour of railroads. The Leeds horse fair, after existing for a great number of years, may now be said to have almost died a natural death.

At the statutes on Tuesday, a good few hirings took place, the majority going home with their “god’s penny.” The usual attractions presented themselves in the Vicar’s Croft for the holiday folks, the most rational and attractive of which was Wombwell’s collection of wild beasts.

204 words.