Model depicting the York Shambles (butcher's
market), from the York Heritage Centre. One of the principal tasks of
borough government was to regulate local commerce and
industry:
- the charter-granted advantages of burgesses
were to be protected, but monopolistic practices discouraged (with
exceptions);
- fair prices had to be established and enforced, and the appropriate
tolls on imports and exports paid to the
town with efforts made to detect ruses to
avoid tolls;
- honest trading conducted openly, within
regulated hours, in public markets or
other designated areas, as opposed to
in private establishments, was to be encouraged;
- making deals in private, intercepting goods
before they arrived at the market, or other
abuses aimed at forcing prices up, had to be suppressed;
- use of the correct measures for selling
goods in quantity had to be investigated periodically;
- quality of goods similarly had to be
policed, which might involve periodic searches
of retailing establishments, or the imposition of
controls, exercised via craft gilds, over who
would be licenced as master craftsmen.
The butchers' market presented particular problems due to the human
health hazards involved in the slaughter of
animals and disposal of their entrails,
as well as risks from sale of spoiled
meat.
Photo © S. Alsford
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