menu_book Chapter 87

section 87 of london labour and the london poor volume two by henry mayhew this librivox recording is in the public domain recording by gillian hendry a table showing the quantity of refuse bought collected or found in the streets of london refuse metal copper annual gross quantity two hundred ninety one thousand six hundred pounds average number of buyers two hundred quantity sold a a quarter hundredweight each weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, one five hundredth. Price, sixpence per pound. Average yearly money value, £7,290. Sold to brass founders and pewterers. Brass, annual gross quantity, £291,600. Average number of buyers, 200. Quantity sold,

a quarter hundredweight each weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, one five hundredth. Price, four pints per pound. Average yearly money value, £4,860, six shillings and eight pints. Sold to brass founders and pewterers. Iron, annual gross quantity, £2,329,600. Average number of buyers 200. Quantity sold 200 weight each weekly. Obtained of the street buyers 1 200th. Price a farthing per pound. Average yearly money value £2,426.13. Sold to iron

founders and manufacturers. Steel annual gross quantity £62,400. Average number of buyers 200. Quantity sold, £6 each weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price, a penny per pound. Average yearly money value, £260. Sold to manufacturers. Lead. Annual gross quantity, £1,164,800. Average number of buyers, 200. Quantity sold, 100 weight each weekly. Obtained of the street buyers 1 500th. Price a penny ha'penny per pound.

Average yearly money value £7,280. Sold to brass founders and pewterers. Pewter Annual gross quantity £291,600. Average number of buyers 200.

Quantity sold a quarter hundredweight each weekly. Obtained of the street buyers 1 500th. Price 5 pence per pound. Average yearly money value 6,075 pounds 13 shillings and four pence. Sold to brass founders and pewterers. Total average yearly money value for refuse metal 28,192 pounds 13 shillings and four pence. Horse and carriage furniture. Carriages annual gross

quantity £120. Average number of buyers, 4. Quantity sold, 30 sets yearly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price, £11 each. Average yearly money value, £1,320. Sold to due dealers. Wheels, 4 from coach builders. Annual gross quantity, 600 sets. Average number of buyers, 100. Quantity sold, 8 sets yearly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price, 25 shillings a set. Average yearly money value, £750. Sold to costers and small tradesmen. Wheels in pairs for carts

and trucks. Annual gross quantity, 600 pairs. Average number of buyers, 50. Quantity sold, 12 pairs yearly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price, seven shillings a pair. Average yearly money value, £210. Sold to costers and small tradesmen. Springs for trucks and small carts. Annual gross quantity, 780 pairs. Average number of buyers, five. Quantity sold, three pairs weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price, six shillings per pair. Average yearly

money value, £234. Sold to costers and others. Lace from coach builders. Annual gross quantity, £1,344. Average number of buyers, 12. Quantity sold, £112 yearly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price a penny per pound. Average yearly money value £5.12. Sold to cabmasters and to Jews. Fringe and tassels from coachbuilders. Annual gross quantity £2,688. Average number of buyers 12. Quantity sold £224 yearly. Obtained of the street buyers none. Price a

hapenny per pound. Average yearly money value £5.12. Sold to Jews. Coach and carriage linings singly. Annual gross quantity 156. Average number of buyers 12. Quantity sold 13 yearly. Obtained of the street buyers none. Price 25 shillings each. Average yearly money value £195. Sold to cabmasters. Harness carriage pairs. Annual gross quantity 60 pairs. Average number of buyers 10. Quantity sold 6 pairs yearly. Obtained of the street buyers none. Price £3 per pair. Average

yearly money value £180. Sold to omnibus proprietors. Harness single sets. Annual gross quantity 144 sets. Average number of buyers 12. Quantity sold 12 sets yearly. Obtained of the street buyers none. Price 30 shillings per set. Average yearly money value 216 pounds. Sold to cab masters. Harness sets of donkey and pony. Annual gross quantity 41,600 sets. Average number of buyers 100. Quantity sold 8 sets weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, harness makers.

Price 4 shillings a set. Average yearly money value £8,320. Sold to little master harness makers. Saddles. Annual gross quantity 1,040 sets. Average number of buyers 10. Quantity sold 2 sets weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price, four shillings a set. Average yearly money value, £203. Sold to Little Master Harness Makers. Collars. Annual gross quantity, 2,080 sets. Average number of buyers, 10. Quantity sold, four sets weekly. Obtained of the street buyers,

none. Price, nine pence a set. Average yearly money value, £78. Sold to Little Master harness makers and marine stores. Bridles, annual gross quantity, £4,160 sets. Average number of buyers, 10. Quantity sold, six sets weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price, eight pence a set. Average yearly money value £138.13.04 Sold to Little Master harness makers and marine stores

Pads Annual gross quantity £2,080 sets Average number of buyers 10 Quantity sold 4 sets weekly Obtained of the street buyers none

Price £6 a set Average yearly money value £52 Sold to Little Master harness makers Bits Annual gross quantity 4,160 sets

Average number of buyers 10 Quantity sold 3 sets weekly Obtained of the street buyers none Price tuppence a set Average yearly money value £34.13.04

Sold to little master harness makers and marine stores Leather New cuttings from coach builders Annual gross quantity £58,136 Average number of buyers 24

Quantity sold 22 hundredweight yearly Obtained of the street buyers none Price fourpence a set Average yearly money value £985.12 Sold to Jews and also to gunsmiths

Leather Morocco cuttings from coachbuilders Annual gross quantity £960 Average number of buyers, 20. Quantity sold, 4,800 weight yearly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price, one shilling sixpence a set. Average yearly money value, 72 pounds. Sold to tailor's trimming sellers. Old leather, waste from coach builders, annual gross quantity,

53,760 pounds. Average number of buyers, 12. Quantity sold, 20,000 weight yearly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price, tuppence ha'penny, a set. Average yearly money value, £560. Sold to Jews. Total average yearly money value for horse and carriage furniture, £13,560, two shillings, eight pence. Refuse linen, cotton and so on Rags, woolen, consisting of tailor's shreds, old flannel drugget, carpet and maureen Annual gross quantity £4,659,200

Average number of buyers, 200 Quantity sold, 400 weight weekly Obtained of the street buyers, 1,000th Price, a halfpenny per pound Average yearly money value £9,706.13. Sold for manure and to nail up fruit trees.

Rags coloured cotton. Annual gross quantity £2,912.000. Average number of buyers 200. Quantity sold 2.5 hundredweight weekly. Obtained of the street buyers 1.500th. Price a halfpenny per pound. Average yearly money value £6,066.13. Sold to papermakers and for quilts. Rags white. Annual gross quantity £1,164,800. Average number of buyers 200. Quantity sold 100 weight weekly. Obtained of the street buyers 1,000th. Price tuppence per pound.

Annual yearly money value £9,706.13. Sold to papermakers. Canvas Annual gross quantity £44,800. Average number of buyers 200. Quantity sold 200 weight yearly. Obtained of the street buyers none. Price a penny per pound. Average yearly money value £186.13. Sold to chance customers.

Rope and sacking. Annual gross quantity £291,200. Average number of buyers £200. Quantity sold a quarter hundredweight weekly. Obtained of the street buyers 1.500th. Price a halfpenny per pound. Average yearly money value £606.13.04 Sold for oakum and sacking to mend old sacks Total average yearly money value for refuse linen, cotton and so on

£36,898.13.04 Paper Waste paper Annual gross quantity £1,397,760 Average number of buyers, 60 collectors, each disposing of 400 weight weekly.

Obtained of the street buyers, all. Price, 18 shillings per hundredweight. Average yearly money value, £11,232. Sold to shopkeepers. Glass and crockeryware.

Bottles, common and doctors. Annual gross quantity, 62,400 dozen. Average number of buyers 200. Quantity sold 24 weekly. Obtained of the street buyers 1 100th. Price tuppence per dozen. Average yearly money value 520 pounds. Sold to doctors and chemists. Bottles wine. Annual gross quantity 31 200 dozen. Average number of buyers 200. Quantity sold 12

weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, one two hundredth. Price, sixpence per dozen. Average yearly money value, £780. Sold to British wine merchants and ale stores. Bottles, porter and stout. Annual gross quantity, 4,800 dozen. Average number of buyers, 200. Quantity sold, 24 dozen yearly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price, sixpence per dozen. Average yearly money value, £120. Sold to ale and porter stores. Flint glass. Annual gross quantity, £15,600.

Average number of buyers, £200. Quantity sold, £1,500 weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, £1,000. Price, a farthing per pound. Average yearly money value, £16.05. Sold to glass manufacturers. Pickling jars. Annual gross quantity £7,200. Average number of buyers £200. Quantity sold 36 yearly. Obtained of the street buyers none. Price three farthings each. Average yearly money value £22.10. Sold to Italian warehouses and so on. Galley pots. Annual gross

quantity 20,800 dozen. Average number of buyers 200. Quantity sold 24 weekly. Obtained of the street buyers none. Price tuppence per dozen. Average yearly money value 173 pounds six shillings and eight pence. Sold to Italian warehouses. Total average yearly money value for glass and crockeryware. £1,632.01.08. Refuse apparel. Coats. Annual gross quantity £624,000. Average number of buyers, 300 collectors, each purchasing eight coats daily. Obtained of the street buyers,

bought of Old Cloman. Price, six shillings each. Average yearly money value, £187,200. sold to old cloman and wholesale dealers. Trousers, annual gross quantity 312,000 pairs, average number of buyers 300 collectors, each purchasing four pairs of trousers daily, obtained of the street buyers, bought of old cloman, price three shillings threepins per pair, average yearly money value 50,700 pounds, sold to old cloman and wholesale dealers.

Wastecoats. Annual gross quantity 312,000. Average number of buyers 300 collectors. Each purchasing three waistcoats daily. Obtained of the street buyers bought of Old Cloman. Price 7 pence each. Average yearly money value 9,100 pounds. Sold to Old Cloman and wholesale dealers. Under waistcoats. Annual gross quantity 46,800. Average number of buyers 300 collectors. Each purchasing three weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, bought of Old Clomen. Price, tuppence

each. Average yearly money value, £390. Sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers. Breaches and gaiters. Annual gross quantity, 15,600 pairs. Average number of buyers, 300 collectors. Each purchasing one pair weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, bought of Old Cloman. Price, two shillings per pair. Average yearly money value, £1,560. Sold to old Cloman and wholesale dealers. Dressing gowns, annual gross quantity, £3,000. Average number of buyers,

100 collectors. Each purchasing, 30 yearly. Obtained of the street buyers, bought of old Cloman. Price, four shillings tuppence each. Average yearly money value, £625. Sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers. Cloaks, men's. Annual gross quantity 1,000. Average number of buyers 100 collectors, each purchasing 10 cloaks yearly. Obtained of the street buyers, bought of old cloman. Price 10 shillings each. Average yearly money value 500 pounds. Sold to wholesale dealers.

Boots and Shoes Annual gross quantity 1,560,000 pairs Average number of buyers 100 collectors, each purchasing 60 pairs daily Obtained of the street buyers, bought of old Cloman Price 7 pence per pair

Average yearly money value £45,500 Sold to wardrobe dealers and second-hand boot and shoemakers Boot and shoe soles Annual gross quantity 648,000 dozen pair. Average number of buyers 100 collectors, each collecting 30 dozen pair daily. Obtained of the street buyers none. Price 1 shilling per

dozen pair. Average yearly money value 32,400 pounds. Sold to Jews and gunsmiths to temper gun barrels. Bootlegs. Annual gross quantity 520,000 dozen pair. Average number of buyers 200 collectors, each collecting 50 dozen pair weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price, five shillings per dozen pair. Average yearly money value, £130,000. Sold to translators. Hats, annual gross quantity, £1,879,000. Average number of buyers, 300

collectors, each purchasing 24 hats daily. Obtained of the street buyers, bought of Old Cloman. Price four pence each. Average yearly money value £31,200. Sold to dealers and master hatters. Boys suits. Annual gross quantity £3,600. Average number of buyers 300 collectors, each purchasing 12 suits yearly. Obtained of the street buyers. Bought of Old Cloman. Price three shillings a suit. Average yearly money value £540. Sold to due dealers. Shirts and chemises.

Annual gross quantity £626,400. Average number of buyers, 300 collectors, each purchasing eight daily. Obtained of the street buyers. Bought of Old Cloman. Price four pence each. Average yearly money value £10,400, sold to old clowmen and wholesale dealers. Stockings of all kinds, annual gross quantity £783,000, average number of buyers 100 collectors each purchasing 30 pair daily. Obtained of the street buyers, bought of old clowmen, price a penny per pair, average yearly

money value £3,272.10, sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers. Drawers, men's and women's. Annual gross quantity, 93,600 pairs. Average number of buyers, 300 collectors, each purchasing six pair weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, bought of old clowman. Price, threepins per pair. Average yearly money value £1,170 Sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers

Women's dresses of all kinds Annual gross quantity £496,800 Average number of buyers, 300 collectors, each purchasing 6 dresses daily Obtained of the street buyers, bought of Old Cloman Price £1,09 each

Average yearly money value £41,107.10 sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers. Petticoats, annual gross quantity £939,600. Average number of buyers, 300 collectors, each purchasing 12 daily. Price, 7 pence each. Average yearly money value £27,405. Sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers. Women's stays, annual gross quantity 261,000 pairs. Average number of buyers 100 collectors, each purchasing 10 pair daily.

Obtained of the street buyers, bought of Old Cloman. Price 5p per pair. Average yearly money value 5,437 pounds 10 shillings. Sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers. Children's shirts. Annual gross quantity 187,920. Average number of buyers 60 collectors, each purchasing 12 daily. Price threepins a dozen. Average yearly money value 195 pounds 15 shillings. Sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers. Children's petticoats. Annual gross quantity 261,000. Average number of buyers

200 collectors, each purchasing 5 daily. Price a penny hapenny each. Average yearly money value £1,639.11.08. Sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers. Children's frocks. Annual gross quantity 522,000. Average number of buyers 200 collectors, each purchasing 10 daily. Price 4 pence each. Average yearly money value £8,700. Sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers.

Cloaks, women's, capes, visites and so on. Annual gross quantity £5,200. Average number of buyers 20 collectors, each purchasing 5 cloaks weekly. Price 4 shillings each. Average yearly money value £1,040.

Sold to wholesale dealers. Bonnets. Annual gross quantity 1,409,400 Average number of buyers 150 collectors, each purchasing 3 dozen daily Obtained of the street buyers bought of Old Cloman

Price 6 pence each Average yearly money value £35,235 Sold to wholesale dealers Shawls of all kinds Annual gross quantity 469,800

Average number of buyers, 300 collectors, each purchasing 6 daily Obtained of the street buyers, bought of Old Clomen Price 1 shilling tuppence each Average yearly money value, £27,405 Sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers

Fur boas and victorines Annual gross quantity, 261,000 Average number of buyers, 100 collectors, each purchasing 10 daily Obtained of the street buyers, bought of Old Cloman. Price, one shilling tuppence each.

Average yearly money value, £15,220. Sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers. For tippets and muffs, annual gross quantity, £130,500. Average number of buyers, 100 collectors, each purchasing 5 daily. Obtained of the street buyers, bought of Old Cloman.

Price, one shilling tuppence each. Average yearly money value £7,612.10 Sold to wholesale and wardrobe dealers Umbrella and parasol frames Annual gross quantity £518,400

Average number of buyers 200 collectors each collecting 12 daily Obtained of the street buyers all Price 5 pence each Average yearly money value £10,300 Sold to Jews and old umbrella menders

Total average yearly money value for refuse apparel £675,556.08. Household refuse. Tea leaves. Annual gross quantity £78,000. Average number of buyers. No information. Quantity sold. No information. Obtained of the street buyers. All. Price. Tuppence ha'penny per pound. Average yearly money value £812.10

Sold to merchants to remake into tea Fish skins Annual gross quantity £3,900 Average number of buyers 25 collectors Each collecting £2 weekly for six months

Obtained of the street buyers Costers and fishmongers Price a penny per pound Average yearly money value £16.05 shillings. Sold to brewers to fine their ale. Hair skins. Annual gross quantity 80,000. Average

number of buyers 50 collectors each collecting 50 weekly. Obtained of the street buyers all. Price a shilling a dozen. Average yearly money value 333 pounds six shillings eight pence. Sold to Jews, hatters and furriers. Kitchen staff. Annual gross quantity £62,400. Average number of buyers 200 collectors, each collecting £6 weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price a penny ha'penny per pound. Average yearly money value £390. Sold at marine stores.

Dripping, annual gross quantity £52,000 Average number of buyers, 200 collectors, each collecting £5 weekly Obtained of the street buyers, none Price, threepins per pound Average yearly money value, £650

Sold at marine stores Bones, annual gross quantity £3,494,400 Average number of buyers, 200 buyers Quantity sold, 300 weight weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, 1,000th. Price, a farthing per pound. Average yearly money value, £105,625.

Sold for manure, knife handles and so on. Hogwash, annual gross quantity, 2,504,000 gallons. Average number of buyers, 200 buyers, each purchasing 40 gallons daily. Obtained of the street buyers, all. Price a penny per gallon. Average yearly money value £10,433.

Sold to pig dealers. Dust from houses. Annual gross quantity 900,000 loads. Average number of buyers, no information. Quantity sold, no information. Obtained of the street buyers, none. Price £2,06 per load. Average yearly money value £112,500.

Sold for manure and to brickmakers. Suit. Annual gross quantity 800,000 bushels. Average number of buyers 800 collectors, each collecting 19 bushels weekly. Obtained of the street buyers none. Price. Five pence per bushel.

Average yearly money value £16,666.13. shillings and fourpence. Sold to farmers, graziers and gardeners. Soil from cesspools. Annual gross quantity 750,000 loads. Average number of buyers no information. Quantity sold no information. Obtained of the street buyers none. Price 10 shillings per load. Average yearly money value £375,000 sold for manure. Total average yearly money value for household refuse £622,427,

£1,08. Street refuse. Street sweepings, scavengers. Annual gross quantity 140,983 loads. Average number of buyers 444 collectors, the whole collecting 452 loads daily. Obtained of the street buyers none. Price 3 shillings per load. Average yearly money value £21,147.09. Sold for manure. Street sweepings, street orderlies. Annual gross quantity 2,817 loads. Average number of buyers 546 collectors, the whole collecting nine loads daily.

Obtained of the street buyers, none Price, £2.06 per load Average yearly money value, £2,352.06 Sold for manure Coal and coke, mudlarks

Annual gross quantity, £64,656 Average number of buyers, 550 collectors, each collecting £42 daily Obtained of the street buyers, none Price 8 pence per hundredweight. Average yearly money value £2,151.17.04. Sold to the poor. Pure. Annual gross quantity 52,000 pails. Average number of buyers 200 collectors each collecting

five pails weekly. Obtained of the street buyers none. Price 1 shilling per pail. Average yearly money value £2,600. Sold to tanners and leather dressers. Cigar ends. Annual gross quantity £2,240. Average number of buyers, 50 collectors, each collecting £8,5 weekly. Obtained of the street buyers, street finders. Price, £8 per pound. Average yearly money value, £74.13.04. Sold to Jews in Rosemary Lane. Total average yearly money value for street refuse £28,326,02.

Gross total for refuse bought, collected or found in the streets of London £1,406,592,01. Curious and ample as this table of refuse is, one moreover, perfectly original, it is not sufficient by the mere range of figures to convey to the mind of the reader a full comprehension of the ramified vastness of the second-hand trade of the metropolis indeed tables are for reference more than for the current information to be yielded by a history or a narrative i will therefore offer a few explanations in elucidation as it were of the tabular return i must as indeed i have done in the accompanying remarks depart from the order of the details of the table to point out in the first instance the particulars of the greatest of the second-hand trades that in clothing in this table the reader will find included every indispensable article of man's woman's and child's apparel as well as those articles which add to the ornament or comfort of the person of the wearer such as boas and victorines for the use of one sex and dressing-gowns for the use of the other

the articles used to protect us from the rain or the too powerful rays of the sun are also included umbrellas and parasols the whole of these articles exceed when taken in round numbers twelve millions and a quarter and that reckoning the pairs as in boots and shoes and so on as but one article this still pursuing the round number system would supply nearly five articles of refuse apparel to every man woman and child in this the greatest metropolis of the world i will put this matter in another light there are about thirty five thousand jews in england nearly half of whom reside in the metropolis twelve thousand it is further stated on good authority reside within the city of london now at one time the trade in old clothes was almost entirely in the hands of the city jews the others prosecuting the same calling in different parts of london having been wardrobe dealers chiefly women who had not unfrequently been the servants of the aristocracy and even these wardrobe dealers sold much that was worn and as one old clothes dealer told me much that was not for their fine customers because the fashion had gone by

to the old clo jews or to those to whom the street buyers carried their stock and who were able to purchase on a larger scale than the general itinerants now supposing that even one twelfth of these twelve thousand israelites were engaged in the old clothes trade which is far beyond the mark each man would have twelve hundred and twenty-five articles to dispose of yearly all second-hand perhaps the most curious trade is that in waste paper or as it is called by the street collectors in waste comprising every kind of used or useless periodical and books in all tongues i may call the attention of my readers by way of illustrating the extent of this business in what is proverbially refuse waste paper to their experience of the penny postage three or four sheets of note-paper according to the stouter or thinner texture and an envelope with a seal or a glutinous and stamped fastening will not exceed half an ounce and is conveyed to the orkneys and the further isles of shetland the hebrides the scilly and channel islands the isles of achill and cape clear of the western and southern coasts of ireland

or indeed to and from the most extreme points of the united kingdom and no matter what distance provided the letter be posted within the united kingdom for a penny the weight of waste or refuse paper annually disposed of to the street collectors or rather buyers is £1,397,760 were this tonnage as i may call it for it comprises twelve thousand four hundred and eighty tons yearly to be distributed in half-ounce letters it would supply material as respects weight for forty four millions seven hundred and twenty eight thousand four hundred and thirty letters on business love or friendship i will next direct attention to what may be by perhaps not overstraining a figure of speech called the crumbs which fall from the rich man's table or according to the quality of the commodity of refuse of the tables of the comparatively rich and that down to a low degree of the scale these are not however unappropriated crumbs to be swept away uncared for but are objects of keen traffic and bargains between the possessors or their servants and the indefatigable street folk

among them are such things as champagne and other wine bottles porter and ale bottles and including the establishments of all the rich and the comparative rich kitchen stuff dripping hogwash hair-skins and tea-leaves lastly come the very lowest grades of the street folk the finders men who will quarrel and have been seen to quarrel with a hungry cur for a street found bone not to pick or gnaw although eugne sou has seen that done in paris and i once very early on a summer's morning saw some apparently houseless irish children contend with a dog and with each other for bones thrown out of a house in king william street city as if after a very late supper not to pick or gnaw i was saying but to sell for manure some of these finders have seen better days others in intellect are little elevated above the animals whose bones they gather or whose orger they scrape into their baskets I do not know that the other articles in the arrangement of the table of street refuse and so on require any further comment.

Broken metal and so on can only be disposed of according to its quality or weight, and I have lately shown the extent of the trade in such refuse as street sweepings, soot and night soil. The gross total, or average yearly money value, is £1,406,592 for the second-hand commodities I have described in the foregoing pages. Or, as something like a minimum is given, both as to the number of the goods and the price, we may fairly put this total at £1,500,000 sterling. End of section 87