As to a hiring fair, well it is not inconceivable, in the 18th century our family were farm labourers in Scalby north of Scarborough and in the 19th century were in Staxton east of Scarborough, before rail travel all the roads led to Scarborough and it also had a racecourse, my best guess is that it was probably a place for the hinterland to gather and do business so why not a hiring fair. This of course is conjecture not scholarship!