TEI | London Labour and the London Poor, Volume 1 | ID: 73666f96f

London Labour and the London Poor, Volume 1

Mayhew, Henry

1861

Of "Strawing."


	I have already alluded to "strawing," which can hardly be described as quackery. It is rather a piece of mountebankery. Many a quack—confining the term to its most common signification, that of a "quack doctor"—has faith in the excellence of his own nostrums, and so proffers that which he believes to be curative: the strawer, however, sells what he is not what he represents it.
	The strawer offers to any passer by in the streets a straw and to the purchaser a paper which he sell. Accordingly as he judges of the character of his audience, so he intimates that the paper is political, libellous, irreligious, or indecent.
	I am told that as far back as or years, straws were sold, but only in the country, with leaves from the , a periodical published by Carlile, then of Fleetstreet, which had been prosecuted by the government; but it seems that the trade died away, and was little or hardly known again until the time of the trial of Queen Caroline, and then but sparingly. The straw sale reached its highest commercial pitch at the era of the Reform Bill. The most successful trader in the article is remembered among the patterers as "Jack Straw," who was oft enough represented to me as the original strawer. If I inquired further, the answer was: "He was the in my time." This Jack Straw was, I am told, a fine-looking man, a natural son of Henry Hunt, the blacking manufacturer. He was described to me as an inveterate drunkard and a very reckless fellow. old hand was certain that this man was Hunt's son, as he himself had "worked" with him, and was sometimes sent by him when he was "in trouble," or in any strait, to , , Blackfriars, for assistance, which was usually rendered. (This was the place where Hunt's "Matchless Blacking" and "Roasted Corn" were vended.) Jack Straw's principal "pitch" was at , "where," said the man whom I have mentioned as working with him, "he used to come it very strong against Old Nosey, the bully as he called him. To my knowledge he's made , and he's made on a night. O, it didn't matter to him what he sold with his straws, religion or anything. There was no -pennies (threepenny newspapers) then, and he had had a gentleman's education, and knew what to say, and so the straws went off like smoke." The articles which this man "durst not sell" were done up in paper, so that no could very well peruse them on the spot, as a sort of stealth was implied. On my asking Jack Straw's coworker if he had ever drank with him, "Drank with him!" he answered, "Yes, many a time. I've gone out and pattered, or chaunted, or anything, to get money to buy him glasses of brandy—and good brandy was very dear then—before he could start, for he was all of a tremble until he had his medicine. If I couldn't get brandy, it was the best rum, 'cause he had all the tastes of a gentleman. Ah! he's been dead some years, sir, but where he died I don't know. I only heard of his death. He was a nice kindly fellow."
	The in respect of strawing is not remarkable for its originality. It was an old smuggler's trick to a sack and the keg of contraband spirit placed within it and padded out with straw so as to resemble a sack of corn. The hawkers, prior to , when Mr. Huskisson introduced changes into the Silk Laws, "real Ingy handkerchiefs" (sham) to a customer, and him a knot of tape for about The price of a true Bandana, then prohibited, and sold openly in the draper's shops, was about The East India Company imported about a million of Bandanas yearly; they were sold by auction for exportation to Hamburgh, &c., at about each, and were nearly all smuggled back again to England, and disposed of as I have stated.
	It is not possible to give anything like statistics as to the money realised by strawing. A well-informed man calculated that when the
240	trade was at its best, or from to , there might be generally working it in the country and in London; they did not confine themselves, however, to strawing, but resorted to it only on favourable opportunities. Now there are none in London—their numbers diminished gradually—and very rarely any in the country.

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Edwin C. Bolles papers

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1861

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	Title Page
	PREFACE
	The Street-Folk: Of Wandering Tribes in General
	Of the Wandering Tribes of this Country
	Of the London Street-Folk
	Of the Number of Costermongers and Other Street-Folk Of the Number of Costermongers and Other Street-Folk Of the Varieties of Street-Folk in General, and Costermongers in Particular Of Costermongering Mechanics Ancient Calling of Costermongers Of the Obsolete Cries of the Costermongers Of the Costermongers 'Economically' Considered The London Street Markets on a Saturday Night The Sunday Morning Markets Habits and amusements of Costermongers Gambling of Costermongers 'Vic Gallery' The Politics of Costermongers.-- Policemen Marriage and Concubinage of Costermongers Religion of Costermongers Of the Uneducated State of Costermongers Language of Costermongers Of the Nicknames of Costermongers Of the Education of Costermongers' Children The Literature of Costermongers Of the Honesty of Costermongers Of the Conveyances of the Costermongers and Other Street-Sellers Of the 'Smithfield Races' Of the Donkeys of the Costermongers Of the Costermongers' Capital Of the 'Slang' Weights and Measures Of Half Profits Of the Boys of the Costermongers, and their Bunts Of the Juvenile Trading of the Costermongers Of the Education of the 'Coster-Lads' The Life of a Coster-Lad Of the 'Penny Gaff' Of the Coster-Girls The Life of a Coster Girl Of Costermongers and Thieves Of the More Provident Costermongers Of the Homes of the Costermongers Of the Dress of the Costermongers Once Try You'll Come Again Of the Diet and Drink of Costermongers Of the Cries, Rounds, and Days of Costermongers Of the Costermongers on their Country Rounds Of the Earnings of Costermongers Of the Capital and Income of the Costermongers Of the Providence and Improvidence of Costermongers Of the Costermongers in Bad Weather and During the Cholera Of the Costermongers' Raffles Of the Markets and Trade Rights of the Costerongers, and of the Laws Affecting Them Of the Removals of Costermongers From the Streets Of the Tricks of Costermongers
	Of the Street-Sellers of Fish Of the Street-Sellers of Fish Of the Costermongers' Fish Season Billingsgate Of the Forestalling of Markets and the Billingsgate Of 'Wet' Fish-Sellers in the Streets
	Of Sprat-Selling in the Streets Of Sprat-Selling in the Streets Of Shell-Fish Sellers in the Streets Of Shrimp Selling in the Streets Of Oyster Selling in the Streets Of Periwinkle Selling in the Streets Of 'Dry' Fish Selling in the Streets Gross Value of the Several Kinds of Fish Annually Sold in the Streets of London
	Of the Street-Sellers of Fruit and Vegetables Of the Kinds and Quantity of Fruit and Vegetables Sold in the Streets Of the Fruit and Vegetable Season of the Costermongers Of Covent Garden Market Of 'Green' Fruit Selling in the Streets Of the Orange and Nut Market Of Orange and Lemon Selling in the Streets Of Nut Selling in the Streets Of Roasted Chestnuts and Apples Of 'Dry' Fruit Selling in the Streets Of the Street-Sale of Vegetables Of the 'Aristocratic' Vegetable-Sale Of Onion Selling in the Streets Of Pot-Herbs and Celery Gross Value of the Fruit and Vegetables Sold annually in the London Streets
	Of the Stationary Street-Sellers of Fish, Fruit, and Vegetables Of the Number of Street Stalls Of the Character of the Street-Stalls Of Fruit-Stall Keepers Of a Public Meeting of Street-Sellers
	Of the Street-Irish Of the Street-Irish Of the Causes Which Have Made the Irish Turn Costermongers How the Street-Irish Displanted the Street-Jews in the Orange Trade Of the Religion of the Street-Irish Of the Education, Literature, Amusements, and Politics of the Street-Irish The Homes of the Street-Irish Irish Lodging-Houses For Immigrants Of the Diet, Drink, and Expense of Living of the Street-Irish Of the Resources of the Street-Irish as Regards 'Stock-Money,' Sickness, Burials, &c. Of the History of Some Irish Street-Sellers Of the Irish 'Refuse'--Sellers
	Of the Street-Sellers of Game, Poultry (Live and Dead), Rabbits, Butter, Cheese, and Eggs Of the Street-Sellers of Game, &c. Of the Quantity of Game, Rabbits, and Poultry, Sold in the Streets Of the Street-Purchasers of Game and Poultry Of the Experience of a Game Hawker Statement of Two Poultry Hawkers Of the Street Sale of Live Poultry Of Rabbit Selling in the Streets Of the Street Sale of Butter, Cheese, and Eggs
	Of the Sellers of Trees, Shrubs, Flowers (Cut and In Pots), Roots, Seeds, and Branches Of the Sellers of Trees, &c. Of the Quantity of Shrubs, 'Roots,' Flowers, Etc., Sold in the Streets, and of the Buyers Of the Street Sale of Trees and Shrubs The London Flower Girls Of Two Orphan Flower Girls Of the Life of a Flower Girl Of the Street Sale of Lavender Cut Flowers Of the Street Sale of Flowers in Pots, Roots, Etc. Of the Street Sale of Seeds Of Christmasing-- Laurel, Ivy, Holly, and Mistletoe Of the Sale of May, Palm, Etc
	Street-Sellers of Green Stuff Street-Sellers of Green Stuff Of Watercress-Selling, in Farringdon Market Of the Street-Sellers of Water-Cress Watercress Girl Of Groundsel and Chickweed Sellers Of Turf Cutting and Selling Of the Experience and Customers of A Turf-Cutter Of Plantain-Sellers
	Of the Street-Sellers of Eatables and Drinkables Of the Street-Sellers of Eatables and Drinkables Of the Street-Sellers of Pea-Soup and Hot Eels Of the Experience of a Hot-Eel and Pea-Soup Man Of the Street-Sellers of Pickled Whelks Of the Customers, Etc., of Pickled Whelk-Sellers Of the Street Sellers, and of the Preparation of Fried Fish Of the Experience of a Fried Fish- Seller, and of the Class of Customers Of the Preparation and Quantity of Sheep's Trotters, and of the Street-Sellers Statements of Sheep's Trotter Women Of the Street Trade in Baked Potatoes Of 'Trotting,' or 'Hawking' Butchers Of the Experience of a Hawking Butcher Of the Street-Sellers of Ham-Sandwiches Of the Experience of a Ham Sandwich- Seller Of the Street-Sellers of Bread Of the Street-Sellers of Hot Green Peas Of the Experience of a Hot Green Pea Seller Of Cats' and Dogs'--Meat Dealers Of the Street-Sale of Drinkables Of Coffee-Stall Keepers Of the Street Sale of Ginger-Beer, Sherbet, Lemonade, &c Of the Experience and Customers of A Ginger-Beer Seller Of the Street-Sellers of Hot Elder Wine Of the Street Sale of Peppermint-Water Of Milk Selling in St. James's Park Of the Street Sale of Milk Of the Street-Sale of Curds and Whey Of the Street-Sellers of Rice-Milk Of Water-Carriers Of the Street-Sellers of Pastry and Confectionary Of Street Piemen Of the Street-Sellers of Boiled Puddings Of the Street-Sellers of Plum 'Duff' or Dough Of the Street-Sellers of Cakes, Tarts, &c. Of Other Cake-Sellers in the Streets Of the Street-Sellers of Gingerbread- Nuts, &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Hot-Cross Buns, and of Chelsea Buns Of Muffin and Crumpet-Selling in the Streets Of the Street Sale of Sweet-Stuff Of the Customers of the Sweet-Stuff Street-Sellers Of the Street-Sellers of Cough Drops and of Medical Confectionary 'Lohoch de farfara,' the Lohoch of Coltsfoot Of the Street-Sellers of Ices and of Ice Creams Of the Capital and Income of the Street-Sellers of Eatables and Drinkables Capital, or Stock in Trade, of the Street- Sellers of Eatables and Drinkables Income, or 'Takings,' of Street-Sellers of Eatables and Drinkables
	Of the Street-Sellers of Stationery, Literature, and the Fine Arts Of the Street-Sellers of Stationery, &c. Of the Former and Present Street- Patterers Of the Habits, Opinions, Morals, and Religion of Patterers Generally Of the Publishers and authors of Street-Literature Of Long Song-Sellers Of Running Patterers Experience of a Running Patterer Of the Recent Experience of a Running Patterer Of the Chaunters Of the Experience of a Chaunter Of the Death and Fire Hunters Of the Sellers of Second Editions Of the Standing Patterers Experience of a Standing Patterer Of Political Litanies, Dialogues, etc. Of 'Cocks,' Etc. Of 'Strawing' Of the Sham indecent Street-Trade Of Religious Tract Sellers Of a Benefit Society of Patterers Of the Abodes, Tricks, Marriage, Character, and Characteristics of the Different Grades of Patterers Of the Low Lodging-Houses of London Of the Filth, Dishonesty, and Immorality of Low Lodging-Houses Of the Children in Low Lodging- Houses Of the Low Lodging-Houses Throughout the Country Of the Street Stationers, and the Street Card-Sellers Of the Seller of the Penny Short-Hand Cards The Lecture 'I perish with hunger' Of the Sellers of Race Cards and Lists Of the Street-Sellers of Gelatine, of Engraved, and of Playing Cards, &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Stationery Of the Experience of a Street- Stationer Of a 'Reduced' Gentlewoman, and a 'Reduced' Tradesman, as Street-Sellers of Stationery Of the Street-Sale of Memorandum- Books and Almanacks Of the Street-Sale of Pocket-Books and Diaries Of the Street-Sellers of Songs Of the Street 'Pinners-up,' or Wall Song-Sellers Of Ancient and Modern Street Ballad Minstrelsy Of Street 'Ballads on a Subject' Of the Street Poets and Authors Of the Experience of a Street Author, or Poet Of the Street-Sellers of Broad-Sheets Of the 'Gallows' Literature of the Streets Of the Street-Sellers of Conundrums Of the Street-Sellers of Comic Exhibitions, Magical Delusions, &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Play-Bills Of the Street-Sellers of Periodicals, Pamphlets, Tracts, Books, Etc. Of the Street-Sale of Back Numbers Of the Sale of Waste Newspapers at Billingsgate Of the Sale of Periodicals on the Steam- Boats and Steam-Boat Piers Of the Sale of Newspapers, Books, &c., at the Railway Stations Of the Street Booksellers Of the Character of Books of the Street-Sale Of the Experience of a Street Book- Seller Of Street Book-Auctioneers Of the Street-Sale of Song-Books, and of Children's Books Of the Street-Sellers of Account-Books Of the Street-Sellers of Guide-Books, &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Fine Arts Of Street Art Of the Street-Sellers of Engravings, Etc., in Umbrellas, Etc. Of the Street-Sellers of Pictures in Frames Of the Street-Sellers of Manuscript and Other Music Of the Capital and Income of the Street-Sellers of Stationery, Literature, and the Fine Arts Capital or Value of the Stock-in-Trade of the Street-Sellers of Stationery, Literature and the Fine Arts Income, or Average Annual 'Takings,' of the Street-Sellers of Stationery, Literature, and the Fine Arts An Epitome of the Pattering Class Of the 'Screevers,' or Writers of Begging-Letters and Petitions 'God Save the Queen' Of the Probable Means of Reformation
	Of the Street-Sellers of Manufactured Articles Of the Street-Sellers of Manufactured Articles Of the Street-Sellers of Manufactured Articles in Metal Of the Cheap Johns, or Street Han- Sellers 'The Original Cheap John' The Crippled Street-Seller of Nut- Meg-Graters Of the Swag-Shops of the Metropolis Shopkeepers and Dealers Supplied with the Following Articles -- Of the Life of a Cheap-John The Street-Sellers of Cutlery Of the Blind Street-Sellers of Tailors' Needles, etc. The Public-House Hawkers of Metal Spoons, Etc. Of the Street-Sellers of Jewellery Of the Pedlar-Jewellers Of the Street-Sellers of Card-Counters, Medals, Etc. The Construction is of Iron and of Glass, 1848 Feet Long. about Half is 456 Wide. the Remainder 408 Feet Wide, and 66 Feet High; Site, Upwards of 20 acres. Josh. Paxton, archt. Of the Street-Sellers of Rings and Sovereigns For Wagers Of the Street-Sellers of Children's Gilt Watches Of the Street-Sellers of Tinware Of the Life of a Tin-Ware Seller Of the Street-Sellers of Dog-Collars Of the Life of a Street-Seller of Dog- Collars Of the Street-Sellers of Tools Of the Beggar Street-Sellers Pike's Patent Cotton. 120 Yards 'The Lace-Makers' Appeal' 'ALLEN, Printer, Long-row, Nottingham' Of the 'House of Lords,' a Street-Seller's Defunct Club Of the Street-Sellers of Crockery and Glass-Wares Of the 'Swag,' Crockery, and Glass Shops Of the Street-Sellers of Spar and China Ornaments, and of Stone Fruit Of the Street-Sellers of Textile Fabrics Of the Haberdashery Swag-Shops Of Hawkers, Pedlars, and Petty Chapmen Of the Packmen, or Hawkers of Soft Wares Statement of a Packman Of the Tally Packman Of the 'Duffers' or Hawkers of Pretended Smuggled Goods Of the Street-Sellers of 'Small-Ware,' or Tape, Cotton, Etc. Of the Street-Sellers of Lace Of the Street-Sellers of Japanned Table- Covers Of the Street-Sellers of Braces, Belts, Hose, Trowser-Straps, and Waistcoats Of the Street-Sellers of Boot and Stay- Laces, &c. Of a Blind Female Seller of 'Small-Wares' The Blind Street-Seller of Boot-Laces Of the Life of a Blind Boot-Lace Seller Of the Low Lodging-Houses Statement of a Young Pickpocket Statement of a Prostitute Statement of a Beggar Meeting of Thieves Of the Country Lodging-Houses Of the Street-Sellers of Chemical Articles of Manufacture Of the Street-Sellers of Blacking, Black Lead, Etc. Of the Street-Sellers of French Polish Of the Street-Sellers of Grease-Removing Compositions Of the Street-Sellers of Corn-Salve Of the Street-Sellers of Glass and China Cement, and of Razor Paste Of the Street-Seller of Crackers and Detonating Balls Of the Street-Sellers of Lucifer-Matches Of the Street-Sellers of Cigar Lights, or Fuzees Of the Street-Sellers of Gutta-Percha Heads Of the Street-Sellers of Fly-Papers and Beetle-Wafers Of the Street-Sellers of Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles Of the Street-Sellers of Walking-Sticks Of the Street-Sellers of Whips, Etc. Of the Street-Sellers of Pipes, and of Snuff and Tobacco Boxes Of the Street-Sellers of Cigars Of the Street-Sellers of Sponge Of the Street-Sellers of Wash-Leathers Of the Street-Sellers of Spectacles and Eye-Glasses Of the Street-Sellers of Dolls Of the 'Swag-Barrowmen,' and 'Lot- Sellers' Of the Street-Sellers of Roulette Boxes Of the Street-Sellers of Poison For Rats Of the Street-Sellers of Rhubarb and Spice Of the Hawking of Tea
	Of the Women Street-Sellers Of the Women Street-Sellers Of a Single Woman, as a Street-Seller Of a Mechanic's Wife, as a Street-Seller Of an Irishwoman, as a Street-Seller Of a Widow, a Street-Seller
	Of the Children Street-Sellers of London Of the Children Street-Sellers of London Of Children Sent Out as Street-Sellers by their Parents Of a 'Neglected' Child, a Street-Seller Of a Hired Coster Boy Of an Orphan Boy, a Street-Seller Of the Life of an Orphan Girl, a Street- Seller Of Two Runaway Street-Boys Of the Capital and Income of the Street-Sellers of Manufactured Articles
	Index