The event took place in May 2010 to celebrate the 700th anniversary of Stockton market. As a member of Stockton Camera Club we were asked to go along on the day to take photographs of the market celebrations etc. At one point I was standing in front of the platform watching the then Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Tom Wright making a speech when someone tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I would like to go inside the Town Hall to photograph the signing a new charter… so I said yes!
In May 1310, Bishop Bek of Durham signed a charter proclaiming ‘To our town of Stockton a market upon every Wednesday for ever’ – and since then the market has been in Stockton’s High Street every Wednesday and Saturday.
Photographs and details courtesy of Brian Swales.
Strangely enough, the small town up river called Yarm, was actually granted their ‘weekly’ market over one-hundred years previously in 1207. I believe Norton on Tees had a market before even that! Obviously, as the town of Stockton bourgeoned in the early 18thC it became the main focal point for such trade, particularly as it’s port facility increased in importance, after the bridge to the Yorkshire side of the Tees was built at where we now regard as Thornaby, thereby ‘shutting-off’ Yarm to ships.