SLHS Market Cross

History

In mediaeval times not just any town could claim to be a market town. This had to be granted by the monarch and in Stratford’s case this occurred in 1196. A lot would follow as a result. The town could advertise its status and traders were allowed to come and ply their trade for a small fee. The dates and times of trade would be set out (as you no doubt will have read on the Master page -click above).

There would need to be a considerable amount of organisation as small towns could initially only afford small covered areas suitable for all year round business. It is beyond the current scope of these articles but certainly at some future point we intend to describe the important issues around the maintenance of standard weights, measures and quality. Certainly unscrupulous traders could get a market town a very bad name. Resultant lack of trust would undermine any notion of expansion.

End of High Street -near Wood Street

● These items have aspects that uniquely contribute to national or world history.

To return to Master page click on ‘Markets & Fairs’ above.

Market Cross

Obviously upon receiving its Market Charter Stratford needed to attract its traders to a single point and so it isn’t surprising that some form of market cross was erected at the highest point in the town: at the top of Bridge Street. Later, in 1381, again not surprisingly this was referred to as “High Cross”.

By this time the Gild Of The Holy Cross (formed 1269) was fully operating and in 1431 they paid the mason Thomas Burton to erect a suitable building. In 1478-9 the whole structure was expanded and a clock (from Roger Paget’s house) installed over it (see right).

High Street’s Market Cross.  There is another view of it on the Master page (click above).   Possibly James Halliwell 1848.

Corporal Punishment

A market town had to maintain order and there was a long line of justices and constables (like John Shakespeare). Sentences ranged from simple fines, incarceration in the goal in Sheep Street or, in extreme cases, public whipping on a post under the cross installed for the purpose in 1614.

Two depictions in the same vane:  Market Cross in the year of Garrick’s Shakespeare’s Jubilee 1769.     Left oil on canvass;  right hand coloured engraving   1864 ©SBT.

Dissatisfaction

The first Market Cross was blocking High Street and so in 1831 a new location nearby, where Wood Street, Henley Street and Bridge Street met was chosen.

The stone at the foot of the cross was kept by Capt James Saunders and placed in his garden in Henley Street. When he died in 1831 there was no home for the artifact and so in 1861 it was sold to SBT who have it still kept (see right).

The clock was saved and taken to Talton Park coach house, now Talton Lodge in Shipston-on-Stour. However in 1907 the Herald reported that it had disappeared !

The Original Market Cross

A New Market Hall

Everything New

The first Market Cross was blocking High Street and so in 1831 a new location was chosen nearby at the junction of Wood Street and Henley Street straight inline with Bridge Street.

There was already a house there so it was demolished and a new curved building erected made up of three storeys. The ground floor had three wide openings for traders, then there was a meeting room above. On top was a small octagonal tower with a clock. On top of that was the weather vane from the original house (see inset far right).

In 1884 two of the arches were glazed to protect the traders in winter.

Base of the Market Cross 1973    (first shown in SBT’s Famous Beyond Words exhibition in 2019)

More Dissatisfaction

The town had gone to a large expense to improve its overall sophisticated look. However this ramshackle, hardly used trading area had outlasted its usefulness and so in 1907 the United Counties Bank bought in and upgraded it significantly.

In 1916 they were bought out by Barclays Bank in 1916. Nowadays is regarded as an important feature of the town.

Remarkable Market Cross Bell

For more information about the 700year old bell follow the shortcut at the top of the page.