King Henry III issued a Royal Charter in 1253 granting the borough of Scarborough the right to hold an annual fair for 45 days, from 15th August (the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary) until 29th September (Michaelmas). Although Henry never actually visited Scarborough, he treated the borough extremely favourably, given that this was an unusually long trading period, longer than was permitted in almost any other northern town. Hull, for example, was allowed only 35 days.
During the fair, by an additional royal order, the loading of ships anywhere between Ravenscar and Flamborough was forbidden except at Scarborough.
The 45-day open market period coincided with the vast shoals of herring migrating southwards and coming close to Scarborough in August and September. This attracted vessels from other English ports and encouraged the processing of the fish in Scarborough. Buying and selling fish took place on the town’s South Bay sands. Scarborough soon became the busiest fish market in Western Europe.
But the town also welcomed many visitors and merchants to buy, sell and be entertained. A large proportion of foreign merchants coming into Scarborough came from Flanders, and the remainder were mainly French. Other merchants also came from Norway, Denmark, Germany, and even Russia. Cargoes coming into the port included timber, pitch, wax, coal, rice and Spanish iron.
The royal granting of Scarborough Fair protected the town's trade from competition by the local market at Seamer.
The English folk singer Martin Carthy passed on his arrangement of the traditional folk song ‘Scarborough Fair’ to the singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, which heavily influenced his own composition, ‘Girl from the North Country’ (1963), whilst another American singer-songwriter, Paul Simon, was also inspired by Carthy to record with Art Garfunkel his own version of ‘Scarborough Fair’ in 1966.
