T[homas] F[rancis] G[eorge] Dexter, The Pagan Origin of Fairs

New Knowledge Press, Perranporth, Cornwall, n.d. [1932]

The author attacks the prevalent belief that British fairs are of Christian origin. “The object of this book is to show that most fairs are of pagan origin, and that some of them are nearer 4000 than 800 years old.”

Dexter (1860–1933) wrote books on educational psychology. After his retirement he published several booklets though the New Knowledge Press, including The Sacred Stone and Civilisation in Britain 2000 B.C.

The digitized version contains the following Web pages:

TEXT
Prelims (including summary of Argument and Conclusions)
Main text: The Pagan Origin of Fairs
Bibliography and References
IMAGES
Title page
Fig. 1 A scene in St. Bartholomew’s Fair, 1721
Fig. 2 Plan of Stourbridge Fair, 1767
Fig. 3 An Elizabethan fair
Fig. 4 The Great Cloth Market, Leeds, cir. 1640
Fig. 5 Spiral designs at New Grange, Ireland
Fig. 6 Spiral and lozenge designs, New Grange, Ireland
Fig. 7 Reputed tomb of Dathi, an early Irish king. Croghan, Ireland
Fig. 8 Plan of Martinsell Hill, Wiltshire
Fig. 9 View of Silbury Hill, near Avebury, Wiltshire
Fig. 10 Plan of Yarnborough Castle, Wiltshire
Fig. 11 A long barrow
Fig. 12 The district around Avebury
Fig. 13 A round barrow
Fig. 14 Whittingham Church and circular churchyard, Northumberland
Fig. 15 Revel held just outside a churchyard
Fig. 16 Market cross, Edinburgh, at the time of the execution of Argyle, 1685
Fig. 17 Cross in the market place of Grampound, Cornwall
Fig. 18 Respryn Cross, St. Winnow, Cornwall
Fig. 19 Cross now in Morrab Gardens, Penzance
Fig. 20 The cross shown in Fig. 19 standing in the market place, Penzance, in 1825
Fig. 21 The Christian face of the Penzance market cross
Fig. 22 The pagan face of the Penzance market cross
Fig. 23 Cross on Connor Down
Fig. 24 St. Ewe cross
Fig. 25 Coins from Ægina, 600–550 A.D.