William Fitzstephen, _Description of the Most Noble City of London_, prefixed to his _Life of Thomas à Becket_. (Translation by H. Morley, prefatory to his edition of Stow's _Survey of London_.)
[4] "Prance high, and rear their supple necks."
In some cases the king gave his special protection to markets and fairs.
1133. _Charter of Henry I. to the Priory of St. Bartholomew, Smithfield._
I give my firm peace to those who come to the fair which is wont to be held on the feast of St. Bartholomew in that place (Smithfield), and to those who go thence; and I command that no royal servant implead them, nor exact from those who come customs, without the consent of the canons, on these three days, on the eve of the feast, on the feastday, and on its morrow.
Printed in Dugdale, _Monasticon_, VI. 296.
_Charter of Henry II. to the burghers of Nottingham._
... Moreover all who come to the market of Nottingham shall not suffer distraint, from Friday evening until Sunday evening, except for the king's farm.
The term "Pied Poudre" or "Pie Poudre" is generally held to be derived from the French _pieds poudrés_, that is, dusty feet, and perhaps arose from the fact that the courts so called were frequented by chapmen with dusty feet, or less probably from the celerity of the judgments which were pronounced while the dust was on the feet of the litigants. The existence of such courts, in connection with fairs, was common to England and the continent. It is possible that in some cases and in an early period the business of fairs was not transacted in a special court. On the other hand, the distinctive feature of Pied Poudre Courts, the method of trial by the persons best qualified to judge, the merchants, was akin to the spirit of English law. Therefore it is probable that they were very early introduced into England.
Divers fairs be holden and kept in this realm, some by prescription allowed before justices in eyre, and some by the grant of our lord the king that now is, and some by the grant of his progenitors and predecessors;
And to every of the same fairs is of right pertaining courts of pipowders, to minister in the same due justice in his behalf;
In which court it hath been all times accustomed, that every person coming to the same fairs, should have lawful remedy of all manner of contracts, trespasses, covenants, debts, and other deeds made or done within any of the same fair, and within the jurisdiction of the same, and to be tried by merchants being of the same fair.