The feeing market at Graham Square, early 20th century.
A feeing market was a form of employment fair, and they were held all over Scotland but particularly in agricultural areas each May and November. Men and women in search of work would gather at the markets and attempt to catch the attention of of farmers and other employers in search in labour.
In Glasgow, the feeing market was traditionally the place to go to recruit dairymaids, ploughmen, cattlemen and others to work on farms on the outskirts of the city, but also to find ostlers (stablemen) for city stables, cowfeeders for dairies and even domestic servants for more affluent households. It slowly shrank away after the First World War, owing to social changes partly resulting from the removal of farms and agricultural enterprises in and around the city, the widespread adoption of motor vehicles in place of horse-drawn carriages and carts, and the decline in demand for domestic servants.
Reference: 140.78.283
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Museums
Keywords:
agricultural labourers, cattlemen, cowfeeders, dairies, dairymaids, domestic servants, farm workers, farmers, feeing markets, labour exchanges, Meat Market, ostlers, stablemen
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