In 1125 King Henry I granted the manor of Thatcham to Reading Abbey. He let the Abbots run it and allowed them to run a market in the church on Sundays.
This caused a rivalry between the men of Thatcham and the new town of Newbury, that was set up after the Norman Conquest.
King Henry II issued three charters confirming the weekly market and compelling men to attend it – or else suffer a fine!
In circa 1160, the jealous men of Newburys’ market trashed Thatchams’ market. King Henry II subsequently issued an order preventing them from injuring or interfering with the market in any way.
The rivalry between the men folk of Newbury and Thatcham continued until at least Queen Elizabeth I’s reign – although some say it still continues now.
In 1218AD Henry III ordered the market day to be changed from Sunday to Thursday.
in 1348-1350 the bubonic plague, or Black Death, decimated the population of Thatcham, almost wiping out the entire populations of Thatcham, Newbury, Greenham and Crookham and by 1540 the market of Thatcham was considered valueless.
In 2002, Thatcham’s revived market began trading again, being run now on a Friday.
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