There was another way to gain employment for servants. Mop Fairs. Farm workers, labourers, servants and some craftsmen would work for their employer from October to October. At the end of the employment they would attend the Mop Fair dressed in their Sunday best clothes and carrying an item signifying their trade. A servant with no particular skills would carry a mop <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mop> head -- hence the phrase Mop Fair. Employers would move amongst them discussing experience and terms, once agreement was reached the employer would give the employee a small token of money and the employee would remove the item signifying their trade and wear bright ribbons to indicate they had been hired. They would then spend the token amongst the stalls set-up at the fair which would be selling food and drink and offering games to play. Michaelmas Day is celebrated on the 29th September but Mop Fairs were tied to the seasons and the harvest, not the calendar. When the Gregorian calendar <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar> was adopted in 1752 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1752> and 11 days dropped from that year events associated with the end of the harvest moved 11 days later to the 10th October. This date is known as "Old Michaelmas Day" and since 1752 has been the date Mop Fairs take place. Ray No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 270.4.1/1513 - Release Date: 22/06/2008 07:52

Hi Ray, well my rellie was charged at Michaelmas and I had no idea just when. Now I know, September, in 1822. Thanks. robyndehood. Qld. Oz. At 05:10 PM 23/06/2008, you wrote: >There was another way to gain employment for servants. > >Mop Fairs. > >Farm workers, labourers, servants and some craftsmen would work for >their employer from October to October. At the end of the employment >they would attend the Mop Fair dressed in their Sunday best clothes and >carrying an item signifying their trade. A servant with no particular >skills would carry a mop <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mop> head -- >hence the phrase Mop Fair. > >Employers would move amongst them discussing experience and terms, once >agreement was reached the employer would give the employee a small token >of money and the employee would remove the item signifying their trade >and wear bright ribbons to indicate they had been hired. They would then >spend the token amongst the stalls set-up at the fair which would be >selling food and drink and offering games to play. > >Michaelmas Day is celebrated on the 29th September but Mop Fairs were >tied to the seasons and the harvest, not the calendar. When the >Gregorian calendar <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar> was >adopted in 1752 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1752> and 11 days dropped >from that year events associated with the end of the harvest moved 11 >days later to the 10th October. This date is known as "Old Michaelmas >Day" and since 1752 has been the date Mop Fairs take place. > >Ray > > > >No virus found in this outgoing message. >Checked by AVG. >Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 270.4.1/1513 - Release Date: >22/06/2008 07:52 >_____________________________________________ > _____________________________________________ > >Have you considered adding "postems" to "your" events on >www.freebmd.org.uk , giving your contact details? Other researchers >will then be able to make contact. Click on the info button to add your postem. > >Any problems, please contact the List Admin: >[email protected] >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >[email protected] with the word >'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >