King John granted a charter for Morpeth’s weekly market in 1199. By the late eighteenth century it was said to be the biggest ‘fat market’ outside Smithfield in London. Cattle and sheep were driven by drovers, in their thousands, from North Northumberland and from over the Scottish border.

Livestock would take several days to arrive at Morpeth: cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry were held in pens from the top of Newgate Street to the bottom of Bridge Street, both part of what was the Great North Road. The cattle market moved from Market Place into Newmarket in 1903.

On arrival at the Market Place an upturned market stall and angry stall keeper was further evidence that Miss D’Jeck had passed through. The stall keeper sent everyone up Old Post Office Yard in search of the beast.