“The following main Streets are to be cleansed DAILY throughout the year (except Sundays), to be begun not earlier than 4 o’Clock in the morning, and finished not later than 9 o’Clock in the morning.
- Fleet Street
- Ludgate Hill and Street
- St. Paul’s Church Yard
- Cheapside
- Newgate Street
- Poultry
- Watling Street, Budge Row, and Cannon St.
- Mansion House Street
- Cornhill
- Leadenhall Street
- Aldgate Street and Aldgate
- King William Street and London Bridge
- Fenchurch Street
- Holborn
- Holborn Bridge
- Skinner Street
- Old Bailey
- Lombard Street
- New Bridge Street
- Farringdon Street
- Aldersgate Street
- St. Martin-le-grand
- Prince’s Street
- Moorgate Street
- The Street called ‘The Pavement’
- Finsbury Place, South
- Gracechurch Street
- Bishopsgate St., within and without
- The Minories
- Wood Street
- Gresham Street
- Coleman Street.
“N.B. In times of frost and snow these hours of executing the work may be extended at the discretion of the Local Commissioners.”
The other conditions relate to the removal of the dust from the houses (a subject I have already treated), and specify the fines, varying from 1l. to 5l., to be paid by the contractors, for the violation or neglect of any of the provisions of the contract. It is further required that “Each Foreman, Sweeper, and Dustman, in the employ of either of the Contractors,” (of whom there are four, Messrs. Sinnott, Rooke, Reddin, and Gould), “will be required to wear a Badge on the arm with these words thereon,—
“‘London Sewers,
No. —
Guildhall,’
by which means any one having cause of complaint against any of the men in the performance of their several duties, may, by taking down the number of the man and applying at the Sewers’ Office, Guildhall, have reference to his name and employer.
“Any man working without his Badge, for each day he offends, the Contractor is liable to the penalty of Five Shillings.
“All the sweepings of the Streets, and all the dust and ashes from the Houses, are to be entirely carted away from the City of London, on a Penalty of Ten Pounds for each cart-load.”
These terms sufficiently show the general nature of the contracts in question; the principal difference being that in some parts, the contractor is not required to sweep the streets more than once, twice, or thrice a week in ordinary weather.
The number of individuals in London styling themselves Master Scavengers is 34. Of these, 10 are at present without a contract either for dust or scavenging, and 5 have a contract for removing the dust only; so that, deducting these two numbers, the gross number 34 is reduced to 19 scavenging contractors. Of the latter number 16 are in a large way of business, having large yards, possessing several carts and some waggons, and employing a vast number of men daily in sweeping the streets, carting rubbish, &c. The other 3 masters, however, are only in a small way of business, being persons of more limited means. A large master scavenger employs from 3 to 18 carts, and from 18 to upwards of 40 men at scavengery alone, while a small master employs only from 1 to 3 carts and from 3 to 6 men. By the table I have given, p. [186], vol. ii., it is shown that there are 52 contracts between the several district authorities and master scavengers, and nineteen contractors, without counting members of the same family, as distinct individuals; this gives an average of nearly three distinct contracts per individual. The contracts are usually for a twelvemonth.