Throughout the fifteenth century the old-established rules of marketing in Colchester remained in operation. In the central markets trading began with the ringing of a bell at a regular hour. Transactions were monitored to ensure that individual vendors did not bid up prices, and tradesmen were punished if they attempted to sell above the price currently authorised. Those in charge of cargoes coming to Hythe were expected to remain ignorant of current market conditions, to obtain a bill from the moothall before offering goods for sale and to sell them at a publicly proclaimed price agreed with the bailiffs. Those buying up produce on its way to market were punished, whether they operated by sea or land. As in the fourteenth century fish was the commodity most frequently forestalled, with grain in second place. The main development in the enforcement of this legislation was that the community during the fifteenth century took account of forestalling in a wider variety of commodities, including, from time to time, butter, eggs, cheese, rabbits, onions, garlic, mustard seed, salt, vinegar, tallow, hides, coal, linen cloth, earthenware, rope and bast.

The problems of enforcing regulations against forestalling had mounted with the growth of Colchester's trade and its increased prominence in the region as a point of supply. Pedlars were coming into Colchester from as far afield as north-west Essex and southern Cambridgeshire in search of fish, and they were not particular about obeying market regulations.