Now! Then! Daniel Defoe is amazed by Leeds’s outdoor cloth market on Briggate, shortly before the opening of the white cloth hall

25 September 1705: Daniel Defoe is amazed by Leeds’s outdoor cloth market on Briggate, shortly before the opening of the white cloth hall

Daniel Defoe. 1727. A Tour Thro’ the Whole Island of Great Britain, Vol. 3. London: G. Strahan./W. Mears./J. Stagg. Get it:

Excerpt

Early in the morning, there are trestles placed in two rows in the street, sometimes two rows on a side, but always one row at least. Then there are boards laid across those trestles, so that the boards lie like long counters on either side, from one end of the street to the other. The clothiers come early in the morning with their cloth, and as few clothiers bring more than one piece, the market being so frequent, they go into the inns and public houses with it, and there set it down. At seven o’clock, the market bell rings. It would surprise a stranger to see in how few minutes, without hurry or noise, and not the least disorder, the whole market is filled, all the boards upon the trestles are covered with cloth, as close to one another as the pieces can lie longways by one another, and behind every piece of cloth, the clothier standing to sell it. This indeed is not so difficult, when we consider that the whole quantity is brought into the market as soon as one piece, because as the clothiers stand ready in the inns and shops just behind, and that there is a clothier to every piece, they have no more to do, but, like a regiment drawn up in line, every one takes up his piece, and has about five steps to march to lay it upon the first row of boards, and perhaps ten to the second row. As soon as the bell has done ringing, the merchants and factors, and buyers of all sorts, come down, and coming along the spaces between the rows of boards, they walk up the rows and down as their occasions direct, Some of them have their foreign letters of orders, with patterns sealed on them, in rows, in their hands, and with those they match colours, holding them to the cloths as they think they agree to. When they see any cloths to their colours, or that suit their occasions, they reach over to the clothier and whisper, and in the fewest words imaginable the price stated: one asks, the other bids, and it is agreed, or not agreed, in a moment. In less than half an hour you will perceive the cloths begin to move off, the clothier taking it up upon his shoulder to carry it to the merchant’s house, and by half past eight the market bell rings again. Immediately the buyers disappear, the cloth is all sold, or if here and there a piece happens not to be bought, it is carried back into the inn, and in a quarter of an hour there is not a piece of cloth to be seen in the market. Thus, you see, ten or twenty thousand pounds value in cloth, and sometimes much more, bought and sold in little more than an hour, and the laws of the market the most strictly observed as ever I saw done in any market in England. By this quick return the clothiers are constantly supplied with money, their workmen are duly paid, and a prodigious sum circulates through the county every week.

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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:

ER: East Riding
GM: Greater Manchester
NR: North Riding
NY: North Yorkshire
SY: South Yorkshire
WR: West Riding
WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

Dates. Defoe’s Tour is a digest of often quite dated notes: Vol 3 came out in 1727, but he made these observations before the opening of the (first) white cloth hall on 22 May 1711, although he doesn’t comment that they are now of mainly historical interest. A lack of evidence makes it difficult to get a sense of Defoe’s day-to-day activities, and Defoe probably visited Leeds on various occasions, but an intriguing reference in one of his few surviving letters makes it conceivable that he visited the twice-weekly market (Tuesday, Saturday) on the day I have assigned:

16 Warrington. 17 Manchester. 20. Boulton. 21. Rochdale. 22. Hallifax No Magistrates in any of these Towns. Choose no Members nor have any officer but a Constable. 23, 26 Leeds, Wakefield, and Sheffield. No members Chosen here neither. Here I have made usefull Remarks on Trade and Observe that Frequent Elections haveing no Influence here to Divide the people, They live here in Much more peace with one another than in other parts (Defoe 1955)

His approximate starting time for the market is happily roughly that of the spring or autumn equinox – “I take take it, at a medium, and as it was when I was there” – and the latter would have fallen at around that time.

Perhaps this was his itinerary: on Sunday the 23rd he gets to Leeds, on Monday the 24th he has an outing to Pontefract but stays at Leeds, on Tuesday the 25th he attends early morning market in Leeds and then travels to Wakefield for lunch and night, and on the 26th continues to Sheffield, where he stays.

This isn’t the itinerary employed in the Tour, which has him travelling north from Leeds via Harewood’s magnificent bridge over the Wharfe and over barren lands to Knaresborough, but, again, the work is a composite designed to be attractive to the public.

Another doubt. Roger Sharrock has an amusing instance of plagiarism: letter 81

mentions his fellow-agent Pierce’s report of an open-air conventicle of the Cameronians; later in A Tour through Great Britain he describes the same scene with additional details as though he had seen it himself (Sharrock 1957/01).

So perhaps I am wrong to suppose the observations are even Defoe’s, and all is naught when all is done.

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Original

Leeds is a large, wealthy and populous Town, it stands on the North Bank of the River Aire, or rather on both Sides the River, for there is a large Suburb or Part of the Town on the South Side of the River, and the whole is joined by a stately and prodigiously strong Stone Bridge, so large, and so wide, that formerly the Cloth Market was kept in neither Part of the Town, but on the very Bridge it self; and therefore the Refreshment given the Clothiers by the Inn-keepers, of which I shall speak presently, is called the Brigg-shot to this Day.

The Encrease of the Manufacturers and of the Trade, soon made the Market too great to be confined to the Brigg or Bridge, and it is now kept in the High-street, beginning from the Bridge, and running up North almost to the Market-House, where the ordinary Market for Provisions begins, which also is the greatest of its kind in all the North of England, except Hallifax, of which I have spoken already, nay, the People at Leeds will not allow me to except Hallifax, but say, that theirs is the greatest Market, and that not the greatest Plenty only, hut the best of all Kinds of Provisions are brought hither.

But this is not the Case; it is the Cloth Market I am now to describe, which is indeed a Prodigy of its Kind, and is not to be equalled in the World. The Market for Serges at Exeter is indeed a wonderful Thing, and the Value sold there is very great; but then the Market there is but once a Week, here it is twice a Week, and the Quantity of Goods vastly great too.

The Market it self is worth describing, tho no Description can come up to the Thing it self; however, take a Sketch of it with its Customs and Usages as follows:

The Street is a large, broad, fair and well-built Street, beginning, as I have said, at the Bridge, and ascending gently to the North.

Early in the Morning, there are Tressels placed in two Rows in the Street, sometimes two Rows on a Side, but always one Row at least; then there are Boards laid cross those Tressels, so that the Boards lie like long Counters on either Side, from one end of the Street to the other.

The Clothiers come early in the Morning with their Cloth; and as few Clothiers bring more than one Piece, the Market being so frequent, they go into the Inns and Publick-Houses with it, and there set it down.

At seven a Clock in the Morning, the Clothiers being supposed to be all come by that time, even in the Winter, but the Hour is varied as the Seasons advance (in the Summer earlier, in the Depth of Winter a little later) I take take it, at a Medium, and as it was when I was there, at six or seven, I say, the Market Bell rings; it would surprize a Stranger to see in how few Minutes, without hurry or noise, and not the least disorder, the whole Market is fill’d, all the Boards upon the Tressels are covered with Cloth, close to one another as the Pieces can lie long ways by one another, and behind every Piece of Cloth, the Clothier standing to sell it.

This indeed is not so difficult, when we consider that the whole Quantity is brought into the Market as soon as one Piece, because as the Clothiers stand ready in the Inns and Shops just behind, and that there is a Clothier to every Piece, they have no more to do, but, like a Regiment drawn up in Line, every one takes up his Piece, and has about five Steps to march to lay it upon the first Row of Boards, and perhaps ten to the second Row; so that upon the Market Bell ringing, in half a quarter of an Hour the whole Market is fill’d, the Rows of Boards cover’d, and the Clothiers stand ready.

As soon as the Bell has done Ringing, the Merchants and Factors, and Buyers of all Sorts, come down, and coming along the Spaces between the Rows of Boards, they walk up the the Rows, and down as their Occasions direct, Some of them have their foreign Letters of Orders, with Patterns seal’d on them, in Rows, in their Hands; and with those they match Colours, holding them to the Cloths as they think they agree to: when they see any Cloths to their Colours, or that suit their occasions, they reach over to the Clothier and whisper, and in the fewest Words imaginable the Price stated; one asks, the other bids; and ’tis agree, or not agree, in a Moment.

The Merchants and Buyers generally walk down and up twice on each Side of the Rows, and in little more than an Hour all the Business is done; in less than half an Hour you will perceive the Cloths begin to move off, the Clothier taking it up upon his Shoulder to carry it to the Merchant’s House; and by half an hour after eight a Clock the Market Bell rings again, immediately the Buyers disappear, the Cloth is all sold, or if here and there a Piece happens not to be bought, ’tis carried back into the Inn, and, in a quarter of an Hour, there is not a Piece of Cloth to be seen in the Market.

Thus, you see, Ten or Twenty thousand Pounds value in Cloth, and sometimes much more, bought and sold in little more than an Hour, and the Laws of the Market the most strictly observed as ever I saw done in any Market in England; for,

1. Before the Market Bell rings, no Man shews a Piece of Cloth, nor can the Clothiers sell any but in open Market.

2. After the Market Bell rings again, no Body stays a Moment in the Market, but carries his Cloth back if it be not sold,

3. And that which is most admirable is, ’tis all managed with the most profound Silence, and you cannot hear a Word spoken in the whole Market, I mean, by the Persons buying and selling, ’tis all done in whisper.

The reason of this Silence, is chiefly because the Clothiers stand so near to one another; and ’tis always reasonable that one should not know what another does, for that would be discovering their Business, and exposing it to one another.

If a Merchant has bidden a Clothier a Price, and he will not take it, he may go after him to his House, and tell him he has considered of it, and is willing to let him have it, but they are not to make any new Agreement for it, so as to remove the Market from the Street to the Merchant’s House.

By nine a Clock the Boards are taken down, the Tressels are removed, and the Street cleared, so that you see no Market or Goods any more than if there had been nothing to do and this is done twice a Week. By this quick Return the Clothiers are constantly supplied with Money, their Workmen are duly paid, and a prodigious Sum circulates thro’ the County every Week.

If you should ask upon all this, where all these Goods, as well here as at Wakefield, and at Hallifax, are vented and disposed of? It would require a long Treatise of Commerce to enter into that Part: But that I may not bring you into the Labyrinth, and not show you the way out, I shall, in three short Heads, describe the Consumption, for there are three Channels by which it goes:

1. For the home Consumption; their Goods being, as I may say, every where made use of, for the cloathing the ordinary People, who cannot go to the Price of the fine Medley Cloths made, as I formerly gave you an Account, in the Western Counties of England. There are for this purpose a Set of travelling Merchants in Leeds, who go all over England with Droves of Pack Horses, and to all the Fairs and Market Towns over the whole Island, I think I may say none excepted. Here they supply not the common People by Retail, which would denominate them Pedlars indeed, but they supply the Shops by Wholesale or whole Pieces; and not only so, but give large Credit too, so that they are really travelling Merchants, and as such they sell a very great Quantity of Goods; ’tis ordinary for one of these Men to carry a thousand Pounds value of Cloth with them at a time, and having sold it at the Fairs or Towns where they go, they send their Horses back for as much more, and this very often in a Summer, for they chuse to travel in the Summer, and perhaps towards the Winter time, tho’ as little in Winter as they can, because of the badness of the Roads.

2. Another Sort of Buyers are those who buy to send to London; either by Commissions from London, or they give Commissions to Factors and Warehouse-keepers in London to sell for them; and these drive also a very great Trade: These Factors and Warehouse-keepers not only supply all the Shop-keepers and Wholesale Men in London, but sell also very great Quantities to the Merchants, as well for Exportation to the English Colonies in America, which take off great Quantities of those course Goods, especially New England, New York, Virginia, &c. as also to the Russia Merchants, who send an exceeding Quantity to Petersburgh, Riga, Dantzic, Narva, and to Sweden and Pomerania.

3. The third Sort of Buyers, and who are not less considerable than the other, are truly Merchants, that is to say, such as receive Commissions from Abroad to buy Cloth for the Merchants chiefly in Hamburgh, and in Holland, and from several other Parts; and these are not only many in Number, but some of them are very considerable in their Dealings, and correspond as far as Nuremberg, Frankfort, Leipsick, and even to Vienna and Ausburgh, in the farthest Provinces of Germany.

On Account of this Trade it was, that some Years ago an Act of Parliament was obtained for making the Rivers Aire and Calder Navigable; by which a Communication by Water was opened from Leeds and Wakefield to Hull, and by which means all the Woollen Manufactures which those Merchants now export by Commission, as above, is carried by Water to Hull, and there shipped for Holland, Bremen, Hamburgh, and the Baltick. And thus you have a brief Account, by what Methods this vast Manufacture is carried off, and which way they find a Vent for it.

There is another Trade in this Part of the Country, which is now become very considerable since the opening the Navigation of these Rivers, and that is, that from hence they carry Coals down from Wakefield (especially) and also from Leeds, at both which they have a very great Quantity, and such, as they told me, could never be exhausted. These they carry quite down into the Humber, and then up the Ouse to York, and up the Trent, and other Rivers, where there are abundance of large Towns, who they supply with Coals; with this Advantage too, that whereas the Newcastle Coals pay four Shillings per Chaldron Duty to the Publick; these being only called River Borne Coal, are exempted, and pay nothing; though, strictly speaking, they are carried on the Sea too, for the Humber is properly the Sea. But they have been hitherto exempted from the Tax, and so they carry on the Trade to their very great Profit and Advantage.

I need not add, that by the same Navigation. they receive all their heavy Goods, as well such as are Imported at Hull, as such as come from London, and such as other Counties supply, as Butter, Cheese, Lead, Iron, Salt, all Sorts of Grocery, as Sugars, Tobacco, Fruit, Spice, Hops, &c. Oyl, Wine, Brandy, Spirits, and every Sort of heavy or bulky Goods.

The Town of Leeds is very large, and, as above, there are abundance of wealthy Merchants in it, Here are two Churches, and two large Meeting-Houses of Dissenters, and six or seven Chapels of Ease, besides Dissenters Chapels, in the adjacent, depending Villages; so that Leeds may not be much inferiour to Hallifax in Numbers of People; It is really a surprising Thing to see what Numbers of People are thronged together in all the Villages about these Towns, and how busy they all are, being fully employed in this great Manufacture.

2182 words.