The Sun.
London, England, 1825-11-26 00:00:00

FIRE.--About nine o'clock last night, a fire
broke out in the house of Mr. Spratt, the
Crooked Billett,, in Wych-street, facing St. Cle-
ment Danes Church, in the Strand, and from the
combustible nature of the house (being princi-
pally built of wood) and 'a large quantity of
spirits on the premises, great apprehension was
entertained for the safety of that and the adjoin-
ng- houses.; but by the groat •exertions. of Mr.
Spratt's friends and neighbours, ably, assisted by
the firetnen belonging to the Royal Exchange
Assurance Office (where Mr.Spratt was insured)
the fire was providentially got under without do-
ing,auy great damage. It originated in a chimney
.that had been long blocked.upfbut which closely
adjoined one where a fire was frequently kept.

CAMBERWELL AND PECKHAM FAIRS

A Special Petty Se:isions was held on Titurs-
d4y, at .the Sessions-house, Newiagton, before the following
county Magistrates: John Scrieeo, Robe:t Hedger, William
Nottage, J. T. Allen, William Holmer, Thomas Lett, and
David King, ,Esqrs., for the purpose of hearing evidence as to
the legzlity and character of the fairs of c'erniferwell and Peck-
ham, held annually in the month of Auglist. The intolerable
nuisance created by these fairs to the inhabitants of Peckham
and Camberwell has been felt much, and an effort was made
by the respectable inhabitants in the summer of 1923, to put
an end to the disgraceful scenes which occurred whenever the
fairs were held, by calling upon the Magistrates of Union hall
to interfere., under the au;hority of the 551 i: of Gro. 111., cap.
45, sec. 17. R. J. Chambers, Esq., and other Magis:rates, on
that occasion, issued summonses to the Lords of the Manors of
Camberwell and Peckham, to shave their xight to hold the fairs.
Evidence was gone into as to the character of the fairs, but none
was'oflVreci to substantiate t*tieffaverf holding-them, and
Magi Bates, in parstranct id' the thol%•anatned statute, calm
upon the Lords of the Manors on whose ground the fairs were
kept, to enter into recognitancce,no apnea: to a writ of qui) war-
ranto, for which it was the intention of the parties to apply to
the Court of King's Bench.
The necessary'recognizances having been entered into, the
magistrates transmitted the evidence taken before them, with
their adjudication; to the Secretary of State's office for the
Home Department, and the whole-pfoccedings,were submitted
to his Majesty'O. Attorney and Solicitor-General, who were
of opinion thatAhere was not suflicient ground td ensure the
object sought, in applying for the interference of the Court of
King's Bench. Thus matters stood, until lately, when the
Vicar of Camberwell, and a number of highly respectable
parishioners, signed a requisition, begging the Magistrates to
interfere, and hear evidence as to the character and legality of
the fairs in question. In consequence of this application,
summonses were issued to William Whitton, Esq. Sir Thomas
Smyth, Baronet, S. W. Halliday, and - Shard, Esqrs.
as lords of the manors of Camberwell and. Peckham, to show
by what right or title they held the fairs ; and Thursday
was appointed for hearing the same. A number of witnesses
were likewise summoned to give evidence to the character of
the fairs.

Mr. Dodd, solicitor, appeared in behalf of the three first.
named lords of the manors, and most respectfully submitted
to the Bench that they . had no power to call upon his clients
again . to show their right of holding the fairs, inasmuch as
they were already under recognizance* to answer any com-
plaint made to the Court of King's Bench, in . the nature of a
writ of quo warrant° which the Attorney or Solicitor-General
might exhibit against them. He (Mr. Dodd) protested against
any further proceedings being taken against his clients, and
contended that the Magistrates were precluded by the form of
the above-natned act of Parliament from taking any measures
thereon, until the Court of King's Bench was first appealed to.
Under these circumstances he declined offering any evidence as
to the right of holding the fan-s.
Mr. SCRIVEX (the Chairman), having consulted with his
brother Magistrates, said they were clearly of opinion that the
former proceedings were no hindrance or bar to the present in-
quiry, which was, in truth, a new complaint.
The following evidence was then offered, it having been. ad-
.1
matted that a fair was held at Camberwell annually, by Mr.
Dodd, on the part of his clients.
Mr. Henry Gooch examined.-1 reside in Grove-lane, Cain-
berwell, where I have lived 15 or 16 years, during which time a
fair has been held on the 18th, 19th, .and.2oth of August each
year, on the green, in St. Giles's parish, and on or about the
paths. Riot, confusion, and licentiousness, 'of the grossest
kind, have been produced by these fairs. During the periods
of 1819 and 1821,4 held the office of Vicar's Warden, and
was in the habit of inspecting the booths and public-houses in
and about the fair. 4 perceived much 'drunkenness and pro-
fligacy of every description. The fields contiguous were:scenes
of debauchery not fit to be named. Numbers of pickpockats
and thieves' were taken up every fair ; and the booths and
public.houses were the places in which they assembled. Some
police-officers were engaged to attend to protect the people from
being robbed or insulted. From what I saw of the fair, I con-
sider it to be a nuisance. It is destructive of morals, disturbs
the peace and good order of the neighbourhood, and is produc-
tive of no benefit whatever.. I never Raw any useful articles
sold there. No horses nor cattle were ever sold there; nor does
any bartering for goods ever take place. The things which are
sold are toys or trifles. Ido not know of any legal right by
which the fair is held. I liave heard of many cases in which
females have been grossly insulted.
Thomas Jackson, Esq..-1 have lived in Camberwell-terrace
40 years. 1 subscribed to have police-officers from Bow-street,
to repress violence and prevent riot at the fairs. 1 never heard
that there was any legal right to hold theta. No public good
results from them. A friend of mine once had a trunk cut from
behind his carriage by some thieves at the fair. Much mischief
is done at fair-time.

31r. Joseph Fiddler said he resided in Camberwell, and be-
lieved the fair to be a great nuisance. The parish paid now 50/.
or 60/. a year ibr police-officers. He knew of no prescriptive
right to hold the fair. Many instances of personal violence
had taken place in the fair within his own knowledge, and fe-
males had been grossly insulted. During the fair the Magis-
trates were constantly sitting.
James Walsh, Esq., said he lived on the east side of Cam-
berwell-green. The fair was a great nuisance. The backs of
the booths, for the exhibition of wild beasts, came within a few
feet of his dining-room. The noise was intolerable. He had
seen Hogarth's picture of a strolling company of players rea-
lized from his own windows, having a full exhibition of the
dressing apartment of all the performers who appeared in one
of the shows—he believed it was Richardson's. The fair he
conceived to be destructive of good morals; and in order to
keep his servants from mingling in such scenes of depravity,
was in the habit of giving them money to stay at home.
Mr. Wm. Winn, the overseer of the parish, deposed, tha't
the expences of having police-officers to attend during the fair-
time were 50/. a-year and upwards. He- was not aware of any
legafauthority existing for olding the fair. He had known the
fair worse than it was the last few years. Forty years ago there
was no shows attended, except a few raree shows. No useful
articles, of trade or commerce were sold.

Mr. Richard Widdington said, he had collected sums of
uumey as toll from the show people and booth-keepers. The
extent of the fair was now touch greater than it was some years
back. He never knew such a thing as a Piepowder Court held
before the fair was kept.
The evidence as to the character of Peckham-fair was now
gone into, after C. Dodd (the Counsel) had protested against
the proceedings on, behalf of Mr. Shard, the lord of the manor
of Peckham, on the same ground as. Mr. Dodd, the solicitor,
had urged in the proceeding case.
Mr. Henry Gooch said, that Peckain-fair was more objec-
tionable than Camberwell,,i:eastuuch as there was greater scope
for rapine, insult, anti robbery. InCamberwtll the place in
.whidi the fair w:ts held was surrounded by respectable habita-
tion?. whereas the cn one side where the..fair was held at
Peckham was-open to country. On that side, in the route
leading to the scene of immorality, ninny robberies had been
cotrunittcd, and .inan insults to tilnales took place. The mut-
were made attractive by having platforms put up
for dancing noon. The field was lunch- greater in extent than
that of Camberwell, being nearly double the ground. When
.I'unday -intervened between, the two fapirs, the booth-keepers
and proprietors of the seowv spent it in removing their vahicles
from one place to the Other, provided Saturday was the last
Camberwell-tiiir. He never heard of such a Court as Pied-
powder Ceur, and always understood that, doubtful as the
ht was .01vIecigee.. to be for.holding Camberwell-fair, the
were committed.: In _lBl9, the ex-
riglit -to hold Pee:kb:en-fair was still more so. The Magic-
cers must have,beer. VO!, or 1001, to
crates attended when- the latter fair was -held, to hear the
t casespeacesl) ..lrar'Fi;:illatir'e.7 (gel el:e°.ll-'el, offi
that a young lady whom he knew very
front. hered eats, vati!Cl
welis.cf the name of Grahahrteir,:rt..;ztrsetmeaelllyfirlol
own into t ditch. Witness said, that during the fair
tr is f.,,reund? had `been injured, -and depredatior:s were- committed
thcreo:,. Ile spoke of the showmen
,being engeged.throughout
frequently in removing their shows, - Ile was not
Ihenritleylly't7lrailt'ed' 'having
awnte of any legal right to hold the fair. ••

TwQ ihrei.t, ettiet., wi,tneeses spoke of the fair in OlniJar
terms. • -

George Harwood said he had collected from the booth and
showkcepers in Pc:kham-figilds money for standing there. The