London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 1

Transcriber's Note

Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals= signs.




[Illustration: HENRY MAYHEW.

[_From a Daguerreotype by_ BEARD.]]




  LONDON LABOUR
  AND THE LONDON POOR

  A Cyclopædia of the Condition and Earnings

  OF

  THOSE THAT _WILL_ WORK
  THOSE THAT _CANNOT_ WORK, AND
  THOSE THAT _WILL NOT_ WORK


  BY
  HENRY MAYHEW


  THE LONDON STREET-FOLK

  COMPRISING

  STREET SELLERS · STREET BUYERS · STREET FINDERS
  STREET PERFORMERS · STREET ARTIZANS · STREET LABOURERS

  WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS


  VOLUME ONE




  First edition                                             1851
  (_Volume One only and parts of Volumes Two and Three_)
  Enlarged edition (Four volumes)                        1861-62
  New impression                                            1865




CONTENTS

OF

VOLUME I.


THE STREET-FOLK.
                                                                        PAGE
  WANDERING TRIBES IN GENERAL                                              1
  WANDERING TRIBES IN THE COUNTRY                                          2
  THE LONDON STREET-FOLK                                                   3
  COSTERMONGERS                                                            4
  STREET SELLERS OF FISH                                                  61
  STREET SELLERS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES                                  79
  STATIONARY STREET SELLERS OF FISH, FRUIT, AND VEGETABLES                97
  THE STREET IRISH                                                       104
  STREET SELLERS OF GAME, POULTRY, RABBITS, BUTTER, CHEESE, AND EGGS     120
  STREET SELLERS OF TREES, SHRUBS, FLOWERS, ROOTS, SEEDS, AND BRANCHES   131
  STREET SELLERS OF GREEN STUFF                                          145
  STREET SELLERS OF EATABLES AND DRINKABLES                              158
  STREET SELLERS OF STATIONERY, LITERATURE, AND THE FINE ARTS            213
  STREET SELLERS OF MANUFACTURED ARTICLES                                323
  THE WOMEN STREET SELLERS                                               457
  THE CHILDREN STREET SELLERS                                            468




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.


  LONDON COSTERMONGER                                Page      13
  THE COSTER GIRL                                     „        37
  THE OYSTER STALL                                    „        49
  THE ORANGE MART (DUKE’S PLACE)                      „        73
  THE IRISH STREET-SELLER                             „        97
  THE WALL-FLOWER GIRL                                „       127
  THE GROUNDSELL MAN                                  „       147
  THE BAKED POTATO MAN                                „       167
  THE COFFEE STALL                            To face page    184
  COSTER BOY AND GIRL “TOSSING THE PIEMAN”            „       196
  DOCTOR BOKANKY, THE STREET-HERBALIST                „       206
  THE LONG SONG SELLER                                „       222
  ILLUSTRATIONS OF STREET ART, NO. I.                 „       224
       „              „        NO. II.                „       238
  THE HINDOO TRACT SELLER                             „       242
  THE “KITCHEN,” FOX COURT                            „       251
  ILLUSTRATIONS OF STREET ART, NO. III.               „       278
  THE BOOK AUCTIONEER                                 „       296
  THE STREET-SELLER OF NUTMEG-GRATERS                 „       330
  THE STREET-SELLER OF DOG-COLLARS                    „       360
  THE STREET-SELLER OF CROCKERYWARE                   „       366
  THE BLIND BOOT-LACE SELLER                          „       406
  THE STREET-SELLER OF GREASE-REMOVING COMPOSITION    „       428
  THE LUCIFER-MATCH GIRL                              „       432
  THE STREET-SELLER OF WALKING-STICKS                 „       438
  THE STREET-SELLER OF RHUBARB AND SPICE              „       452
  THE STREET-SELLER OF COMBS                          „       458
  PORTRAIT OF MR. MAYHEW                   To face the Title Page




PREFACE.


The present volume is the first of an intended series, which it is
hoped will form, when complete, a cyclopædia of the industry, the want,
and the vice of the great Metropolis.

It is believed that the book is curious for many reasons:

It surely may be considered curious as being the first attempt
to publish the history of a people, from the lips of the people
themselves--giving a literal description of their labour, their
earnings, their trials, and their sufferings, in their own
“unvarnished” language; and to pourtray the condition of their homes
and their families by personal observation of the places, and direct
communion with the individuals.

It may be considered curious also as being the first commission
of inquiry into the state of the people, undertaken by a priv