Fairs and Markets (and Festivals), Part Three: Brechin

   As is the way with this blog, continuations of previous posts often take an extremely long time since the previous parts. Fairs and Markets Part 2 was published as long ago as September 2017. (Fairs and Markets Part 1 was written the previous year.) This post concentrates on the famous Trinity Market of Brechin, famed throughout Angus and beyond. Quite of lot of the previous post concentrated on Brechin and this article adds some more information to that. Further posts about other markets will doubtless transpire in the indeterminate future. Other markets were held in Brechin, as elsewhere, but this post concentrates on the most famous Brechin gathering. 

   As stated in previous pieces, the Trinity Tryst (or Taranty) has ancient roots and was held on Trinity Muir for three days, starting in the second Wednesday in June, but in modern times shrunk to two days. The burgh magistrates held a daily court during the fair and were led there with much pomp by an armed bodyguard and officials of the town and respresentatives of all the crafts. A sumptuous luncheon was held for all in Justice Hall.

 While more sober decriptions of the market and its activities have been described previously, this article concentrates on press coverage, mainly the social side of the event. Hats off to the witty reporters of past generations in the local press, who are anonymous. If they concentrated on the more bawdy side of the occassion, let us not doubt that the majority of the traders and attendies were abstemious, serious and wise. 

   To start with here's an article which appeared in the Montrose Standard, 30th June 1890:

The weekly auction marts are telling upon the fortunes of the ancient Trinity Tryst. few fat cattle were shown on Thursday, and the market may soon only become a field day for Irish stores. With the horse market on Friday it was different. The Auction Companies have not yet made any striking impression on the horse market. Consequently in Friday a thoroughly representative gathering of horses was seen, and as with the horses so with the people. Aristocrates elbowed drovers, and the bob-tail of humanity mixed with the "nobs" of the district. It takes a deal of swearing to sufficiently impress the worth of an animal on an intending purchaser. This leaves both throats dry, and they adjourn to the nearest tent to restore the parched conduit pipe. When once there good fellowship sometimes overcomes moderation, and neither leave, but are trailed out. About five o'clock the muir resembles a battlefield in more than one respect. It has fights and tents, where the wounded lie where they have fallen. Policemen are busy restoring the equlibrium in the moral and material world. Beside the tents which they have so gallantly assaulted all day numbers lie, rendered incapably of further action that day at least. And so the battle rages on, and the respectable edge off homeward. By and by the ark of the occasion - the beer barrel - is borne off the field by the Philistines. A forward moved to Brechin and neighbouring "pubs" is made by the remaining active service men, and Trinity market is left silent with the debris and wreck of the engagement strewn thickly around.

  

   While the nineteenth century is sometimes cited as the heyday of the Trinity, its fortunes waxed and waned from year to year in accordance with the agricultural economy and other factors. The Caledonian Mercury (Midlothian, 22nd July 1815) reported that the Trinity Market that year went off very well and though cattle did not make as much money as previously, few remained unsold. Prices for horses were high but sales were very dull and prices fell considerably towards the end of the market.The reporter then stated: 'Not withstanding the very depressed state of agriculture, the rage for farms does not appear to be altogther abated. There is some considerable ones let in this county of late, at rather high rents for the present value of produce...'

   The Montrose Review gave the following summary of the market a generation later (21st June, 1850):

Trinity Market. —This large fair has got in some measure a new phase. Now that railway facilities are so great, a very large number of the frequenters of the market from a distance find it more convenient to come by rail on the morning of the principal market, instead of as formerly, from the limited means of conveyance, on the evening previous, so that, generally speaking, our town, on the evening preceding the fair, has very quiet appearance, and lodgings are not difficult to be had. On the other hand, with a large portion of the lower class of citizens, matters seem to be retrograding. Giving themselves up to indiscriminate drinking, scenes of a heartrending description are too frequently exhibited. The Muir being the general rendezvous for these Bacchanals, any restraint felt in the town is cast aside, and vice, in all its deformity, reigns supreme.

   In 1871, the autumn market was recorded as a shadow of its former self (Brechin Advertiser, 3rd October 1871): 

 

The Convener’s Market was held in the Trinity Moir Stance on Tuesday last. The day was tine, but, notwithstanding, there was meagre attendance dealers and farmers, well a poor show of cattle, the whole , number on the ground not exceeding 250, the whole of which were Irish. Dealers were asking very high prices, and the whole the market was stiff one, about the half not being sold, and sent Forfar to stand the market.

    On the social side of things, the Brechin markets still attracted large numbers of the local populace. The Dundee Courier (12th June 1874) wrote:

On Thursday forenoon, large numbers of the workers at the East Mills paraded the streets, behaving themselves in a very excited manner. The mills were to have been kept going this year till two o'clock, instead of stopping at twelve formerly, and this not being in accordance with their tastes, they refused to in at ten o'clock. It would seem there something very attractive about a " Trinity" market, least to the workers at the East Mills.

   There was some degree of misbehaviour at fairs and markets, wherever they were held, and many minor acts of criminality were down to overindulgence. The Montrose Review on 7th August 1863 reported a case of drunken criminality associated with the market:

John Hosea, broker dealer, from Brechin, was charged with having, the night the 12th June last, stolen from the person or custody of George Duncan, farmer, West Pittendriech, Brechin, £4l in bank notes, his property. Panel pled not guilty, and jury was empanneled. From the evidence, it appeared that the complainer had attended Trinity Market the day in question, and had there partaken freely of "mountain dew." He, however, was apparently up to a thing or two, he forthwith deposited the aforesaid sura in the leg of one of his boots. He appeals then to have visited a house of questionable character the Gallowhill Road of Brechin; and after remaining there a short time with a female, and forgetting where he had deposited his money, on searching his pockets, he freely alleged he had been robbed, and kicked most uncomfortable row for want his cash. This state of matters not being relished by his "lady love," she must needs have the police clear the matter up. Duncan's obfuscation of his senses, however, wore off, and reaching the door the said domicile be commenced taking the money furth from the boot to see if it was all right; when the prisoner, who had followed him from the bouse and appeared somewhat familiar with him, suddenly struck Duncan on the wrist, knocking the notes out of his hand, and speedily lifting up his booty, decamped with it— Duncan in hot pursuit. The money was traced to the possession of Hosea, who accounted for having such sum by saying had made excellent profit in dealing amongst "sheep” (?), and had won  a £5 note a wager with a tinker. At the conclusion the evidence, and after a lucid and unbiased summing up of the evidence the Sheriff, the jury, retiring for a short time, returned a verdict unanimously finding the pannel guilty as libelled. The learned Sheriff, in passing sentence, impressed upon the prisoner the necessity of improving the period of his imprisonment by endeavouring to reform his character; and remarked that he was fortunate in having his case tried before the present court, as, approaching si closely as it did to the crime of robbery, if he had been tried before the Circuit Court, his punishment would have been more severe. He was then sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment in the General Prison at Perth.

   Seven years later there was a less dramatic incident of criminality which again highlighted the prevalence of alcoholic overindulgence at the market. The Dundee Courier stated (on 17th June 1870) that James Smith admitted stealing a watch from a man and was sentenced to ten days' imprisonment. Smith, a labourer, had promised a town constable that he would see another man, a smith, safely home to his door. However, after taking him 400 or 500 yards on his way he decided to relieve him of his watch and left him lying on the roadside in a drunken stupor. In 1878, meanwhile, a Mearns man named Richard Emslie claimed that he had been duped out of £20 by some Irishmen following the sale of a horse (Arbroath Guide, 22nd June, 1878). It seems to have been a perennial risk during market times. In July 1886, a local man named William Nicoll was robbed of a substantial sum by three associates he went drinking with during market time (Forfar Herald, 9th July 1886). Two years later an 'obsterporous merchant' was charged with drunk and disorderliness at the North British railway station, where he kicked a porter 'in a dangerous part of the body'. He was given the option of either paying 20 shillings or going to prison for 14 days (The Dundee Courier, 19th June 1888). Instances of similar robbery occur sporadically in  newspaper reports for several decades afterwards.

   The markets and fairs were also represented as attracting unsavoury characters such as vagrants and tramps. The Dundee Advertiser reported on 25th June 1889 that, in Kirriemuir:

James Johnstone, umbrella maker, of no fixed place of abode, was charged with rioutous, drunken, and disorderly conduct on the public street. He pled guilty. The Public Prosecutor explained that although this was Johnstone's first appearance in Court here it was not the first time he had locked him up, and that he only constituted one of a band of tramps or vagrants that have infested the burgh ever since Trinity Market, to the annoyance of the general community. Johnstone pleaded hard to be allowed to go; but the Magistrate imposed a fine of 5s, or two days' imprisonment. He went to prison.

   The homeless were perceived as being a perennial problem at Trinity. In 1910, it was reported that 'the usual shoal' of tramps arrived in Brechin at market time, whose conduct was 'not altogether above reproach'. Among the influx were Forfarians Francis Morrell and his wife Mary Ann, who drunkenly used abusive and disgusting language towards each other in public. They were fined 10 shillings each, with the default of 7 days in prison.

Further Reading

F. Marian MacNeill, The Silver Bough, Volume 4, Local Festivals (Glasgow, 1968). 

Fiona Scharlau, Old Brechin (Mauchline, 2001).