The County has some strange and unique traditions, here we list just a few of them

WINCHESTER St Giles Fair held in the city was one of the largest Fairs during the Middle Ages, first started by a grant from King Rufus the Red to his cousin Bishop Wakelin of Winchester. Originally it lasted on three days but over the years has increased to twnety days. Nothing might be sold for at least seven leagues around except at the fair and there were booths set up in the streets, each selling a particular type of ware which had been brought in from all over England and the Continent. For the duration of the fair the Bishop and his men were given the keys of the city and collected rent for each booth and taxes on aricles sold. Guards were placed on all roads leading to the City and visitors who flooded into the city for the fair were levied - the money used to help finance the building of the Cathedral. Records show that the monks from the Convent of St Swithuns had their own stalls stocked with herrings, salmon, eels, spices, almonds, apricots, raisins, dates, comfits and wine. But the cloth was the main seller, thanks to the sheep on the down which provided the wool to the hungry cloth mills.

There was much entertainment at the fair, including minstrels, jugglers, acrobats and mime artists and buffoon, light fingered peddlers who fleeced others merchant's customers and all the riff-raff associated with such gatherings.

St Giles Fair started to decline in the 14th century due to the wool trade being moved to Calais, and local traders begrudging the monopoly of the Church started their own fair up. But the glory of St Giles Fair was not completely swept away until the Reformation.

AQUAGIUM, SPONGABLE AND BRAGABLE this may sound like a name for a laundry chain but they were all forms of special rates levied on the Soke, once a so called 'free distric' of the City. Luckily this levy no longer exists. It had its own court know and Cheyne Court. The Aulagium was a levy for water used by certain mills, Spongable, a tax levied on wheelwrights and carriers and Bragable was the tax levied on private houses if brewing took place within them. But some of those wily old householders learned the knack of brewing in secret.

WINDOW TAX was a levy no householder could avoid, only by blocking out a window. That is the reason why a lot of the old buildings in the country still have blocked out windows. Window Tax: The tax on the number of windows in houses, first imposed in 1696 in place of the hearth tax.  It was greatly increased by Pitt the Younger, who in 1782 introduced a graduated tax starting at one shilling per window up to ten and rising sharply on every window thereafter.  Taxes on houses with less than seven windows were abolished in 1792, but in 1797 during the French Revolutionary War, the window tax was trebled.  It proved unsatisfactory as windows were boarded and houses constructed in such a way as to avoid it.  It was reduced in 1823 and replaced in 1851 by a duty on uninhabited houses. (info kindly submitted by Ruth Appleby, Hampshire)

This unpopular tax was levied from 1696 till 1851, though it was nor strictly enforced in the latter years.
a) A flat rate house tax (until 1834 only) with an additional amount (varying with the property's rateable value) from 1778, and
b) A window tax which was charged if a house had ten or more windows (from 1696-1766), seven or more windows (from 1766-1825) and eight or more windows (1825-1851). Some windows (such as those of business premises attached to a residence) were for some years exempt from tax.

The occupiers of a property (rather than the owners) were liable to pay the tax.  Those people who were excused by poverty from paying the church or poor rates were also exempt from the window tax.  Many people blocked up some windows to reduce their tax. Returns usually note the name and address of the taxpayer, the number of windows in the house and the tax paid.  Surviving returns are listed in in Gibson, Medicott and Mills and are usually in CROs.  From 1784 the window tax assessment forms also dealt with other taxes such as those for servants, hair powder and horses. info kindly submitted by Carolyn Paisley, from," Ancestral Trails"  by Mark Herber)

CHANDLERS FORD was once the scene of the Merrie Feast, the area being covered in Cherry trees during the 17th century. The small black berries from the trees were collected and used for wine making. In the Spring visitors would flock to the area to view the frothy effect that the blossom caused, but the largest crowd was always when the fruit was harvested. The feast was held in Ramalley and there is a record that young Richard Cromwell son of Oliver Cromwell, the Protector, brought his bride to sample the cherries and to enjoy the Merrie Feast

Morris Dancers

MORRIS DANCERS were very popular among the villages of the county, and they helped to entertain at fairs but with the industrial development and the drift of the population to the larger towns this became rare. The origin of Morris Dancing is believed to have its roots in the Spring rites in pre-Christian Europe. Usually a band of eight men called a troop, is led by a Whiffler who whips away ill fortune and barren winter, and the little bells which adorn the dancers ribboned legs "ring" in the Spring. Different areas had different steps and arm movements for the dancers,

MUMMERS has almost disappeared, the players wore animal costumes and again the origin seems have been pagan, but the church gradually introduced the Saints showing the constant battle between good and evil. The traditional Mumming play was the battle between St George and an enemy who may be called the Black Knight or the Turkish Knight, or a name similar. The climax comes with the death of one of the protagonists, when in comes the Doctor to revive him and miraculously he is restored to life. In such a simple way the death and re-birth of winter and spring are depicted. Andover and Crookham are two Hampshire areas where an active band of Mummers can be seen.