Bromyard

Bromyard had already had an important minster church from before 840. The market place was situated at the main gateway to the bishop's palace. This was the place where tenants came to pay their dues and where court hearings took place. In fact Bromyard was governed by a bailiff appointed by the bishop and a court comprised of a jury of twelve men who were free burgesses (citizens).

The Bishop of Hereford arranged for a survey of all his property to be undertaken around the year 1285. This survey is called the Red Book (because it was bound in red leather) and is a valuable primary source (written in Latin) because it lists all the tenants and how much rent they paid for their burgage plots. It is also a useful source for studying the kinds of names people had, what trades they practised and how many streets and shops there were.

According to this Red Book, Bromyard had seven streets and between 1000 and 1500 people. There were chaplains, millers, butchers, weavers, a blanket maker, a dyer, general merchants, leather workers, blacksmiths, ironmongers, a painter, a goldsmith, a baker, a beast leech (vet), and stud grooms. The weekly market was held on Mondays and there were two annual fairs. (Phyllis Williams, "Borough and Town" and "Markets and Fairs", in Joseph G. Hillaby and Edna D. Pearson (eds.), Bromyard: A Local History, Bromyard and District Local History Society, 1970) 
 
[Original author: Toria Forsyth-Moser, 2002]