THE historic pageant that is the annual procalamation of Whitehaven's 17th century Market Charter took place on its affixed date and time last Wednesday - August 12, at 11 o'clock.

The task was this year undertaken by deputy town crier Marian Finn who read out the Lammas Fair charter following a fan-fare from her friend, trumpeter Anna Brown.

The charter, which has to be publicly proclaimed every August 12, gives the town the right to hold a market and was first granted to Whitehaven in 1672 by Charles II. Sadly, the size of the Thursday and Saturday markets have dwindled somewhat in recent years, however the tradition is still being kept alive. 

A signed proclamation document is witnessed by several of those present and the document is given to the Whitehaven Records Office for posterity.

Shoppers and passers-by were urged to gather round to hear first-timer Marian, who comes from Egremont, read the proclamation.

Marian, who is with Rosehill Players and a band-member with swing jazz band Honey Collective, the La-al Big Band and FloJazz (Florence Mine), enjoyed the experience immensely, using her voice-projection training to the max with her "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez" although she did find the town crier's hand-bell rather heavy!

If August 12 falls on a Thursday or a Saturday then a fee of 'silver coin' is traditionally payable by market traders, and by anyone displaying goods outside. Historically these monies would have gone to Lord Lonsdale but the modest proceeds now go to parish funds.

The proclamation was read from the gazebo, the site of the old market cross, and mentions the Court of Pie Powdre which were hearings once held at Lowther's estate office (Somerset House on Duke Street) to settle any dispute arising from market trading. 

Such courts were set up in small towns, villages, and ports throughout England during the Norman and Medieval period to preside over the goings on at fairs, markets and seaports. They had to have permission from the Crown to sit in judgement and were responsible for settling disputes between buyers and sellers, and making decisions about weights and measures and the quality of goods. A fair or market dispute could very quickly turn into a riot if there was no official controlling power. Punishment could be a fine or a spell in the stocks and in Whitehaven there used to be a lock-up in the market place.

The expression ‘pie powdre’ or pie powder is a corruption of the old French pied-poudreaux meaning dusty-footed, a possible reference to the state of travelling traders, often the litigants seeking justice. Others say that dusty foot refers to a court held on the bare ground rather than under a roof.

Before being taken on by the office of the town crier, the duty of publicly reading the proclamation was for many years, starting in 1957, carried out by Whitehaven solicitor, the late Bill Gough.