What Did Victorian Street Sellers Sell?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

They sold middle class Victorians everything from

toys, shrimp

and even the old clothes of smallpox victims.

What did street sellers sell?

Street-sellers were responsible for supplying slum inhabitants as well as some working-class and middle-class people with a range of items such as

food, clothing, stationary and miscellaneous goods

, for example, old cooking ware.

What did victorians sell on the streets?

The journalist Henry Mayhew recorded the array of goods for sale:

oysters, hot-eels, pea soup, fried fish, pies and puddings

, sheep’s trotters, pickled whelks, gingerbread, baked potatoes, crumpets, cough-drops, street-ices, ginger beer, cocoa and peppermint water as well as clothes, second-hand musical instruments, …

What does a costermonger sell?

Costermonger, coster, or costard is a

street seller of fruit and vegetables in London and other British towns

. The term is derived from the words costard (a medieval variety of apple) and monger (seller), and later came to be used to describe hawkers in general.

What are street sellers called?


A hawker

is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with costermonger or peddler. … Whether stationary or mobile, hawkers often advertise by loud street cries or chants, and conduct banter with customers, to attract attention and enhance sales.

What was a hawker in the 1800s?

Although the words costermonger, hawker and pedlar were used interchangeably, the costermonger or hawker was, technically speaking,

someone who sold his wares by crying them out in the street

. The pedlar travelled the countryside with his wares, visiting houses along the way to sell them.

What is the meaning of street vendor?

A street vendor is

a person who offers goods or services for sale to the public without having a permanently built

structure but with a temporary static structure or mobile stall (or head-load).

What is a coster girl?

(kŏs′tər-mŭng′gər, -mŏng′-) Chiefly

British

.

One who sells fruit, vegetables, fish, or other goods from a

cart, barrow, or stand in the streets.

What is a barrow boy in England?

Barrow boy is a British expression with two meanings, occupational and social. … In British mountain rescue terminology, a barrow boy is

the person who guides a stretcher during a crag (steep rugged mass of rock) rescue

.

What do you call a person who sells everything?

These words all describe people or companies that sell things. The most common word for someone who sells things is

seller

. A person who sells things directly to customers is called a salesperson. … You can also use salesman for a male salesperson or saleswoman for a female salesperson.

Where do street vendors get their merchandise?

A street vendor sells merchandise

from a cart or station located near an area where pedestrians walk by

. A vendor’s main objective is to make money by selling items that people need or want. Often these items are food-related, as those are the easiest permits to obtain.

What do you call someone that sells goods?

The most common word for someone who sells things is

seller

. … A person who sells things directly to customers is called a salesperson. You can also use salesman for a male salesperson or saleswoman for a female salesperson.

What did peddlers call?

They were known by a variety of names throughout the ages, including Arabber,

hawker

, costermonger (English), chapman (medieval English), huckster, itinerant vendor or street vendor.

What do peddlers normally sell?

A peddler is a specific type of salesperson: someone who travels from town to town selling

their wares

. … Peddlers — also known as hawkers and pitchmen — travel from town to town, especially with a carnival or circus. Peddlers are also found on the street, selling many different things, from jewelry to DVDs.

How do you speak hawker?

  1. Break ‘hawker’ down into sounds: [HAW] + [KUH] – say it out loud and exaggerate the sounds until you can consistently produce them.
  2. Record yourself saying ‘hawker’ in full sentences, then watch yourself and listen.
Charlene Dyck
Author
Charlene Dyck
Charlene is a software developer and technology expert with a degree in computer science. She has worked for major tech companies and has a keen understanding of how computers and electronics work. Sarah is also an advocate for digital privacy and security.