Fairs Act 1871

The Fairs Act 1871^[1] (34 & 35 Vict. c. 12) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It empowered the Home Secretary in the United Kingdom to, on petition, make orders for the abolition of fairs. Such provision was made at this time by Parliament because many fairs traditionally held in early Victorian England were, according to the preamble to the act, held to be

1. unnecessary,
2. the cause of grievous immorality, and
3. very injurious to the inhabitants of the towns in which such fairs are held

Whereas certain of the fairs held in England and Wales are unnecessary, are the cause of grievous immorality, and are very injurious to the inhabitants of the towns in which such fairs are held, and it is therefore expedient to make provision to facilitate the abolition of such fairs:

Fairs Act 1871

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to further amend the Law relating to Fairs in England and Wales.
Citation	34 & 35 Vict. c. 12
Dates
Royal assent	25 May 1871
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Fairs Act 1871 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

Fairs abolished under the act included Ickleton Fair in Cambridgeshire^[2] and St Matthew's Fair in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.^{[citation needed]}