Editing Mayfair (section)

===The May Fair <span class="anchor" id="The May Fair"></span>===
The May Fair was held every year at Great Brookfield (which is now part of [[Curzon Street]] and Shepherd Market) from 1 to 14 May.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}} It was established during the reign of [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] in open fields beyond St. James. The fair was recorded as "Saint James's fayer by Westminster" in 1560. It was postponed in 1603 because of [[1603 London plague|plague]], but otherwise continued throughout the 17th century.<ref name=onl /> In 1686, the fair moved to what is now Mayfair.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}} By the 18th century, it had attracted showmen, jugglers and fencers and numerous fairground attractions.<ref name="onl">{{cite book |last=Walford |first=Edward |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol4/pp345-359 |title=Mayfair |work= |year=1878 |series=Old and New London |volume=4 |location=London |pages=345–359 |access-date=23 March 2017}}</ref> Popular attractions included bare-knuckle fighting, [[semolina]]-eating contests and women's [[Pedestrianism|foot racing]].{{sfn|Moore|2003|pp=284–85}}

By the reign of [[George I of Great Britain|George I]], the May Fair had fallen into disrepute and was regarded as a public scandal. The [[George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry|6th Earl of Coventry]], who lived on Piccadilly, considered the fair to be a nuisance and, with local residents, led a public campaign against it. It was abolished in 1764.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}}<ref name=onl /> One reason for Mayfair's subsequent boom in property development was that it was able to keep out lower-class activities.{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=285}}