Legal Definitions - statute fair

A statute fair was a historical gathering, typically held annually, where local authorities would publicly announce the official, fixed wage rates for various types of labor. During these fairs, workers—both men and women—would attend to offer their services for hire, and employers would come to find laborers for agricultural work, domestic service, or other tasks, all operating under the pre-determined wage scales. It was a structured marketplace for labor, designed to regulate employment and wages within a specific region.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of a statute fair:

• Imagine a bustling market square in 18th-century rural England. A wealthy landowner, Mr. Davies, needs a team of farmhands for the upcoming wheat harvest. He attends the local statute fair, where the town crier has just finished proclaiming the legally mandated daily wages for agricultural laborers. Mr. Davies then walks among the crowds of men and women who are presenting themselves for work, knowing that any agreement he makes will adhere to the official rates announced at the fair. This illustrates how the fair served as a central point for both wage declaration and labor recruitment.

• In a large manor house, Lady Eleanor requires new kitchen staff and a stable boy. Her steward is dispatched to the nearest statute fair. He knows that the fair is the designated place where individuals seeking employment in domestic service will gather, and where the established annual wages for such positions—set by local magistrates—will be common knowledge. The steward interviews several candidates, confident that the terms of employment, particularly the pay, will be consistent with the publicly regulated standards. This example highlights the fair's role in facilitating the hiring of domestic workers under regulated conditions.

• Consider a small village where various tradespeople and householders periodically need temporary assistance. At the annual statute fair, a local builder, Mr. Henderson, might look to hire a few strong laborers for a short-term construction project. Simultaneously, a widow, Mrs. Gable, might seek someone to help with her garden or household chores. Both employers know the fair is where they can find available workers, and crucially, they are aware that the wages they offer must align with the official rates that have been publicly declared and are enforced at the fair. This demonstrates the fair's function as a regulated marketplace for diverse types of temporary and seasonal labor.