Booths were set up for trade, sports were played, fires lit and dances held.
Frost fair commemoratives and keepsakes were sold to cater for every budget but few survive today. This rare trefid spoon from the 1684 fair is inscribed along the stem Boughte att frost faire kept upon y’ London River of Theames y’ 4th February.
There were eight frost fairs held on the Thames between 1607-1814.
One of only a handful known, it comes for auction at the January 18 silver sale at Lawrences of Crewkerne with an estimate of £1700- 2000. The spoon, with marks for the unidentified maker RS, London, 1683 was last sold as part of the Griffin collection of late 17th century spoons at Phillips in April 1997.
A similar spoon in better condition was sold by Lawrences for £11,500 in 2016.
