Strathearn Fairs

Strathearn Fairs

St Thomas the Apostle - the original patron Saint
of the Town

The Fairs in Strathearn as elsewhere were anciently sanctioned by the Church , and derived their name
from some saint . In 1745 , the following Fairs were held as under :

St Mavains , at Fowlis Wester on 26^th October .

St Thomas , at Crieff on 21^st December .

St Patrick’s , at Strageath ( Lady Market) on 17^th March .

St Frances , at Crieff , on the 3^rd Tuesday of June .

                  Michaelmas , at Crieff , on 29^th November .

This last was the greatest cattle market in Scotland  and was , by Act of Parliament, removed in 1773 ,
to Falkirk  . In 1734 the customs of the Fairs of Crieff and Fowlis Wester , collected for the Earl of
Perth by Thomas Caw , Milnab , amounted to nearly £600 Scots . From this was paid a large sum to the market guards and pipers , and for entertainment given by the Earl to his tenants and feuars attending
the Fairs . In consequence of the feuds which prevailed in the districts , and the wild Highlandmen
from the north who frequented this Fair , and whose heads never bore a covering , the Earls of Perth
were wont to go in person to the Fair with a strong guard armed with Lochaber axes , beside a force of
their tenants , feuars retainers . This ceremony was observed with more than usual pomp and
circumstance  by James , Duke of Perth , who joined the Uprising of 1745 .  Besides his guards and
feuars  , his tenants attending the Fair from the Baronies of Lix in Killin , Balquhidder , Kinbuck  and Auchterarder , and his Estates in Muthill  , Crieff , Comrie and Monzievaird  joined in the procession  .
The supporters of the House of Hanover viewed this display with anxious suspicion  , because at this
period , plainly employed for political purposes .

This nobleman was the most enterprising improver of his day . He spent large sums of money in
planting and reclaiming land ; in bringing horses from Yorkshire to improve the breed of the district ;
in building mills and bridges ; and in opening a lead mine at Brae Leny ; and a lime quarry in Bracklin
near Callander . In 1740 he erected , at his own expense , a linen manufactory in Crieff for the benefit of
the place . This factory stood near where the present Masons’ Lodge is.

In 1730 the “ King’s Highway “ to the north began to be made through Crieff , and in 1743 the Earl of
Perth , or as he was known by most people the Duke of Perth , feued out St James Square , and gave compensation  for the land to the tenant , Thomas Caw , Milnab . The only descendant of the original
feuars around the Square who holds possession is William Murray Esq., the late respected agent of the
Perth Bank . The present Crieff Inn , called the Drummond Arms , was then erected  , at which Simon ,
Lord Lovat , rested on his way to his trial as a “ rebel “ by the Hanoverian Government ,

Till this period , Crieff with the exception of Galvelmore and Milnab , had not expanded much beyond
the cross to the west .

The following were its leading men in 1735 : Thomas Caw , Milnab ; John Caw , clothier , Milnab ;
Thomas Caw , surgeon ; David Thomson , writer ; David Drummond , schoolmaster ; Duncan Robertson , merchant ; William Clement , dealer in powder and lead ;John Glass, merchant ; John Taylor , merchant ; David Peat , baxter ( baker ) George Morrison , saddler ; Patrick Philp , slater ; Alex. Gentle , wright and glazier ; David Porteous , brewer . There were also three brewers in Galvelmore . King Street was feued
after St James Square ; and after the forfeiture of the Perth Estate , Commissioner Street was feued by
the Government Commissioners . Campbell of Barcaldine , the agent of the Commissioners resided in Crieff , in Highland state ; but being accused of having an excess of the “ greed of the Campbells , “ in taking bribes from the tenants , even so small as a stone of lint , he was superseded .    

Changed days in Crieff !