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Rode Fair

Extract from Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry III Vol. 4 p283

20 March 1254 Charter granting to Nicholas de Sancto Mauro and his heirs a fair on the eve, the day and the morrow of St. Lawrence [9th, 10th & 11th August] at his manor of Rode.

Extract from History & Antiquities of the County of Somerset by J Collinson 1791
Laurence de St. Maur obtained from Edw. I. a grant for a market upon the Thursday of every week in this his manor of Road; and a fair there yearly, on the eve, day, and morrow of St. Margaret the Virgin (20th July).

1796 – James Pain

James Pain was killed by lightning during a storm and was buried at St Lawrence Church on 23 July 1796. This was according to a transcript of the Burial Register but I believe he was killed by fighting not lightning. On 20 July 1796 as a soldier named Sergeant Spencer of the 11th Regiment of Foot (described as a very sober man who had lived in Frome for the past two years without the smallest quarrel) was recruiting at the Road Revel he was insulted by James Payne who repeatedly called him a coward and insisted on fighting him. Several blows were traded and one from the Sergeant struck Payne on the side of his head and killed him instantly. He left a wife and nine children the youngest one only a day old. At an inquest the verdict of Manslaughter was returned.

At the Somerset Assizes Sergeant Spencer’s case was described by the Ipswich Journal of 6 August 1796 as follows:-

At the Somerset Assizes on the trial of Sergeant Spencer of the 11th Foot, for killing James Payne, he had a most excellent character given him and it was proved that the deceased had violently urged him on to the scuffle which occasioned his death. The Sergeant was however found guilty of manslaughter; the Judge explaining to the jury that the law would not justify a man in returning a blow whilst there was a possibility of retreating; until he was driven with his back against a wall, he must not strike again. He was fined one shilling and discharged.

The parish of Road was not pleased to have to support a large family and the following notice appeared in several newspapers – this one from the Bath Chronicle dated 13 July 1797:-

ROAD FAIR

COUNTY OF SOMERSET, 1797

WHEREAS great Mischief and Inconvenience have arisen to the parish and neighbourhood from the said Fair, usually held on the 19th July, and following days, and particularly on the last, when a man, a parishioner of Road, was killed in fighting, leaving a widow and large family chargeable to the said parish; and the principal Landholders, Publicans, and Innholders, being of the opinion that any business transacted at the said Fair is by no means a compensation for the evils occasioned thereby to the Inhabitants in general, and the manufacturing poor in particular.

DO HEREBY GIVE NOTICE

That THE SAID FAIR WILL this year, and in future, BE DISCONTINUED; and that the Public-Houses will be shut on the 19th July, except to Travellers.

H. BAYNTUN, Rector

JONATHAN NOAD, Churchwarden

JOHN POOLL, Churchwarden

JAMES MILLET, Overseer

JOSHUA VAGG, Overseer

JOHN WHEELER, jnr. Constable

T. W. LEDYARD, Innholder

JOHN BROWNJOHN, Innholder

JOHN COLLETT, Innholder

JOHN THOMAS, Innholder Cross Keys

EDWARD WEST, Innholder

JACOB COCKRELL, Innholder

THOS. COCKRELL, Innholder

JOSEPH CABELL

WILLIAM ROSE

JOHN WEREAT

BENJAMIN WALKER

JOHN WHEELER, snr.

JAMES PIKE

The Mark X of J. RODAWAY

JOB MIELL

ROBERT WILSON

J. PARRISH

EDWARD TOVEY

1798 – Extract from General Directory for Somerset 1840
a fair is held here Monday after August 29th

Extract from Kelly’s Directories 1861/66
‘Road was formerly a large market town, but has now nothing but its large cheese fair (held annually on the first Monday after 9th September) to bespeak its early importance.’

Extract from Kelly’s Directories 1875/1902
‘Road was formerly a market town, but has now only a pleasure fair, held annually on the first Monday after 9th September.’

Extract from The History of North Bradley and Road Hill by A Farquharson 1881
FAIR – There was until lately a large one held on the Monday after “Road Revel Sunday” (Sunday on or after the 9th September) in the field called Blundersleigh, for the sale of cheese, and as a pleasure fair.  But Frome has now become the great cheese mart of the District

Extract from Kelly’s Directories 1906/1910
‘Road was formerly a market town, but has now only a pleasure fete, held annually on the first Monday after 9th September.’

Extract from Kelly’s Directories 1914/1935
‘Road was formerly a market town, but has now only a pleasure fete, held annually.’

Extract from A West Country Potpourri by A H Batten Pooll 1969
The Annual Fair was also revived (in 1758) on the eve day and morrow of St. Margaret the Virgin, being the 19th and 20th July.

For many years, until the middle of the last century, a very large cheese and pleasure fair was held in September every year, in a field called Bennelersleigh, situated opposite Road-hill Church, through which, before the common was enclosed, passed the Bradford Road.  The fair attracted buyers from Bath and Bristol, and even from London, but Frome became more attractive, and it was abandoned.

Extract from Somerset: The Complete Guide by R Bush 1994
In 1283 Lawrence de Maur was granted a Thursday market and a three day fair here, the latter often known as Rode Revel, continuing until the 19th century.  Indeed there was formerly a local couplet which ran:

‘Rode Revel, Beckington Rout,

The Devil’s in Frome and cannot get out.’

Rode Fair 1905

Rode Market, the Market Cross and Market House

Extract from the Calendar of the Charter Rolls 1257-1300 p269

8 October 1283 Grant to Laurence de Sancto de Mauro and his heirs, of a weekly market on Thursday at his manor of Rode, cos. Somerset and Wilts, and of a yearly fair there on the vigil, the feast and the morrow of St. Margaret.

Extract from History & Antiquities of the County of Somerset by J Collinson 1791

Laurence de St. Maur obtained from Edw. I. a grant for a market upon the Thursday of every week in this his manor of Road; and a fair there yearly, on the eve, day, and morrow of St. Margaret the Virgin (20th July).

Extract from Kelly’s Directories 1861/66

Road was formerly a large market town, but has now nothing but its large cheese fair (held annually on the first Monday after 9th September) to bespeak its early importance.

Extract from Kelly’s Directories 1861/75

A market cross once stood near the center of the village, the base of which was removed a few years since.

Extract from the Somerset and Wiltshire Journal for 20th May 1865:

ROAD.  THE OLD MARKET HOUSE erected here in 1663 is now demolished.  An ancient cross formerly stood in front of it, and the base, on which John Wesley once preached, was removed about forty years ago.  A neat building is to be erected on the site, by Captain A. M. Noad, RN, the proprietor.

Valuations of a property in this part of High St. include:

1866 – house garden and stable, owner A M Noad, property vacant.

1870 – house garden and stable, owner A M Noad, occupier Rev. Richard Dartnell.

Extracts from Harvey’s Frome Almanac 1870

A market cross once stood near the centre of the village, the base of which remained till about 50 years ago (1820) and John Wesley once stood on it and preached to the villagers.

The old Market House which adjoined a commodious inn stood on the site now occupied by the Rev R. W. Dartnell’s residence and when the old ruins were removed the date of 1602 was found on a stone over the fire place.  Several Elizabethan coins were also found amongst the debris.

Extracts from Old Stone Crosses of Somerset by Charles Pooley 1877 – pages 74/5

‘ROAD – About fifty years ago there were the remains of a village Cross here, which consisted of steps only: the other portions had vanished long before, and these have since disappeared also.

‘Mr West, a very old man residing at Road Hill, affirms that when a little boy he heard John Wesley preach near to the Cross, and remembers distinctly the subject of the sermon, which was ‘The Grace of God.’’

Extracts from the Heritage Statement by Michael Heaton – January 2012

1.3 Historical Context

1.3.1    …. The High St. contains excellent examples of 17th and 18th century houses, many with decorative detailing normally found only in larger settlements, whilst archaeological analysis (Dallimore passim) has demonstrated that many of these buildings have 16th century origins.

1.3.2    Nos. 24 and 26 are situated on the east side of what is understood to have been a medieval market place (Bevan et al 2006).  No. 26 has been ascribed an early 18th century date on the basis of its external decorative detailing ………. No. 24, however, is understood to have been rebuilt in the mid 19th century (DoE 1984) …….

Information from the owner

Simon Witt, recent owner and occupier, told me (in July 2012)that 24 High St was rebuilt in the 19th century. Could this be the house that Captain Noad built on the site of the old Market House? Noad was a churchwarden at St. Lawrence during the 1870s and subscribed the second largest amount, £200, to its restoration in 1873/4. With this strong commitment to the church, it would seem more than likely that having built a house in the centre of the village he might rent it out to the church for the use of the curate. Perhaps he even built it with the intention of ensuring the curate lived in the village, since at that time the rector of the joint parish of Road cum Woolverton lived in Woolverton, despite it being the smaller of the two communities.

Simon Witt (and others) also said that 26 High St was called The Merchant’s House.

Coronation 1911

Coronation 1937

Pantomime at Langham House? c1945

Key to Photo

from an article in the Wiltshire Times 8th December 2000

Back Row

Margaret Newman, Eileen Harper, Ann Perrott, Pat Moore, Marina Bown, Jean Newman, Rosanne Gordon, ?, ?, Edna Applegate, Ken Harrison, Michael Couch, Robin Broadway,

Front Row

Jackie Drew, Esme Couch, ?, ?, ?, Valerie Fussell, Bernice Goulter, Janet Harrison

Rode Carnival

The photos and newspaper cuttings below show the 1975 Rode Carnival:

Reunion of Wartime Evacuees 1995

Lleft to right

1 Paul Stacey, 2 Michael Sparey, 3 Graham Noad, 4 Eileen Barry,  5Peter Barry, 6 Ronnie Barry, 7 John Barry.

Published
27 February 2023
Last Updated
12 January 2024