London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 2

by Henry Mayhew

MASTER-SWEEPS EMPLOYED AS NIGHTMEN IN	Number of Masters employed as Nightmen.	Number of Cesspools emptied during the year.	Quantity of Night soil collected annually.	Number of working Nightmen employed to each Cesspool.	Sum per load paid to each operative Nightman engaged in removing soil from Cesspools.	Total amount paid to Master-Nightmen during the Year for emptying Cesspools.
			Loads.		Pence.	£	s.	d.
Kensington	4	48	240	3 & 4	6 & 7	120	0	0
Chelsea	8	140	700	3 & 4	6 & 7	350	0	0
Westminster	9	180	900	3	6	450	0	0
St. Martin’s	4	34	170	3	6	85	0	0
Marylebone	9	155	775	3 & 4	6 & 7	387	10	0
Paddington	8	107	535	3	6	267	10	0
Hampstead	2	16	80	3	6	40	0	0
Islington	4	82	410	3	6	205	0	0
St. Pancras	13	226	1,130	3 & 4	6 & 7	565	0	0
Hackney	5	89	445	3 & 4	6 & 7	222	10	0
St. Giles’s and St. George’s, Bloomsbury	11	172	860	3 & 4	6 & 7	430	0	0
Strand	4	30	150	3	6	75	0	0
Holborn	4	74	370	3 & 4	6 & 7	185	0	0
Clerkenwell	5	78	390	3 & 4	6 & 7	195	0	0
St. Luke’s	5	68	340	3 & 4	6 & 7	170	0	0
East London	6	92	460	3 & 4	6 & 7	230	0	0
West London	4	64	320	3 & 4	6 & 7	160	0	0
London, City	5	88	440	3 & 4	6 & 7	220	0	0
Shoreditch	7	95	475	3 & 4	6	237	10	0
Bethnal-green	5	68	340	3 & 4	6	170	0	0
Whitechapel	5	66	330	3	6	165	0	0
St. George’s-in-the-East	8	152	760	3 & 4	6	380	0	0
Stepney	6	80	400	3	6	200	0	0
Poplar	4	48	240	3	6	120	0	0
St. Olave’s, St. Saviour’s, and St. George’s, Southwark	16	157	785	3	6	392	10	0
Bermondsey	6	60	300	3	6	150	0	0
Walworth and Newington	8	71	355	3	6	177	10	0
Lambeth	10	91	455	3 & 4	6 & 7	227	10	0
Christchurch, Lambeth	6	58	290	3	6	145	0	0
Wandsworth and Battersea	5	43	215	3	6	107	10	0
Rotherhithe	5	54	270	3 & 4	6	135	0	0
Greenwich and Deptford	5	94	470	3 & 4	6 & 7	235	0	0
Woolwich	6	82	410	3 & 4	6	205	0	0
Lewisham	2	30	150	3 & 4	6	75	0	0
Total for Sweeps employed as Nightmen	214	2,992	14,960	3 & 4	6 & 7	7,480	0	0
Total for Dust and other Contractors employed as Nightmen	188	27,820	139,600	4	8	72,027	0	0
Total for Bricklayers employed as Nightmen	119	19,880	99,400	4	5s. a night	52,185	0	0
Gross Total	521	50,692	253,960	3 & 4	6d. 7d. & 8d. per 1d. & 5s. per night.	131,692	10	0

A TABLE SHOWING THE QUANTITY OF REFUSE BOUGHT, COLLECTED, OR FOUND, IN THE STREETS OF LONDON.

Articles bought collected, or found.	Annual gross quantity.		Average Number of Buyers, and quantity sold Daily or Weekly.
Refuse Metal.
Copper	291,600	lbs.	200	buyers	¼	cwt. each weekly
Brass	291,600	„	200	do.	¼	„ do.
Iron	2,329,600	„	200	do.	2	„ do.
Steel	62,400	„	200	do.	6	lbs. do.
Lead	1,164,800	„	200	do.	1	cwt. do.
Pewter	291,600	„	200	do.	¼	„ do.
Horse & Carriage Furniture.
Carriages	120	„	4	do.	30	sets yearly
Wheels (4, from coach-builders)	600	sets	100	do.	8	do.
Wheels, in pairs for carts & trucks	600	pairs	50	do.	12	pairs yearly
Springs for trucks and small carts	780	„	5	do.	3	„ weekly
Lace, from coach-builders	1,344	lbs.	12	do.	112	lbs. yearly
Fringe and tassels, from ditto	2,688	„	12	do.	224	„ do.
Coach & carriage linings, singly	156		12	do.	13	yearly
Harness (carriage pairs)	60	pairs	10	do.	6	pairs do.
Ditto (single sets)	144	sets	12	do.	12	sets do.
Ditto (sets of donkey and pony)	41,600	„	100	do.	8	sets weekly
Saddles	1,040	„	10	do.	2	„ do.
Collars	2,080	„	10	do.	4	„ do.
Bridles	4,160	„	10	do.	6	„ do.
Pads	2,080	„	10	do.	4	„ do.
Bits	4,160	„	10	do.	3	„ do.
Leather (new cuttings from coach-builders)	58,136	lbs.	24	do.	22	cwt. yearly
Ditto (morocco cuttings from do.)	960	„	20	do.	48	„ do.
Old leather (waste from ditto)	53,760	„	12	do.	20	„ do.
Refuse Linen, Cotton, &c.
Rags (woollen, consisting of tailors’ shreds, old flannel drugget, carpet, and moreen)	4,659,200	lbs.	200	do.	4	„ weekly
Ditto (coloured cotton)	2,912,000	„	200	do.	2½	„ do.
Ditto (white)	1,164,800	„	200	do.	1	„ do.
Canvas	44,800	„	200	do.	2	„ yearly
Rope and sacking	291,200	„	200	do.	¼	„ weekly
Paper.
Waste paper	1,397,760	„	60	colls.	each disposing of 4 cwt. weekly
Glass and Crockeryware.
Bottles (common and doctors’)	62,400	doz.	200	buyers,	24	weekly
Ditto (wine)	31,200	„	200	do.	12	do.
Ditto (porter and stout)	4,800	„	200	do.	24	dozen yearly
Flint glass	15,600	lbs.	200	do.	1½	lbs. weekly
Pickling jars	7,200	„	200	do.	36	yearly
Gallipots	20,800	doz.	200	do.	24	weekly

Obtained of the Street Buyers.	Price per pound weight, &c.	Average Yearly Money Value.			Parties to whom sold.
		£	s.	d.
1-500th	6d. per lb.	7,290	0	0	Sold to brass-founders and pewterers.
„	4d. „	4,860	6	8	Do. do.
1-200th	¼d. „	2,246	13	4	Do. to iron-founders and manufacturers.
none	1d. „	260	0	0	Do. to manufacturers.
1-500th	1½d. „	7,280	0	0	Do. to brass-founders and pewterers.
„	5d. „	6,075	13	4	Do. do.
		28,182	13	4
none	11l. each	1,320	0	0	Sold to Jew dealers.
„	25s. a set	750	0	0	Do. to costers and small tradesmen.
„	7s. a pair	210	0	0	Do. do.
„	6s. per pair	234	0	0	Do. to costers and others.
„	1d. per lb.	5	12	0	Do. to cab-masters and to Jews.
„	½d. „	5	12	0	Do. to Jews.
„	25s. each	195	0	0	Do. to cab-masters.
„	3l. per pair	180	0	0	Do. to omnibus proprietors.
„	30s. per set	216	0	0	Do. to cab-masters.
harness-makers	4s. a set	8,320	0	0	Do. to little master harness-makers.
none	4s. „	203	0	0	Do. do.
„	9d. „	78	0	0	Do. do. and marine stores.
„	9d. „	138	13	4	Do. do. do.
„	6d. „	52	0	0	Do. do.
„	2d. „	34	13	4	Do. do. do.
„	4d. „	985	12	0	Do. to Jews and also to gunsmiths.
„	1s. 6d. „	72	0	0	Do. to tailors’ trimming-sellers.
„	2½d. „	560	0	0	Do. to Jews.
		13,560	2	8
1-1000th	½d. per lb.	9,706	13	4	Sold for manure and to nail up fruit-trees.
1-500th	½d. „	6,066	13	4	Do. to paper-makers and for quilts.
1-1000th	2d. „	9,706	13	4	Do. to paper-makers.
none	1d. „	186	13	4	Do. to chance customers.
1-500th	½d. „	606	13	4	Do. for oakum and sacking to mend old sacks.
		36,898	13	4
all	18s. per cwt.	11,232	0	0	Do. to shopkeepers.
1-100th	2d. per doz.	520	0	0	Do. to doctors and chemists.
1-200th	6d. „	780	0	0	Do. to Brit. wine merchants & ale stores.
none	6d. „	120	0	0	Do. to ale and porter stores.
1-1000th	¼d. per lb.	16	5	0	Do. to glass manufacturers.
none	¾d. each	22	10	0	Do. to Italian warehouses, &c.
„	2d. per doz.	173	6	8	Do. do.
		1,632	1	8

Refuse Apparel.
Coats	624,000		300	colls.	each purchasing	8	coats daily
Trousers	312,000	pairs	300	do.	do.	4	pr. trousers do.
Waistcoats	312,000		300	do.	do.	3	waistcoats do.
Under-waistcoats	46,800		300	do.	do.	3	weekly
Breeches and gaiters	15,600	pairs	300	do.	do.	1	pair weekly
Dressing-gowns	3,000		100	do.	do.	30	yearly
Cloaks (men’s)	1,000		100	do.	do.	10	cloaks yearly
Boots and shoes	1,560,000	pairs	100	do.	do.	60	pairs daily
Boot and shoe soles	648,000	dz. pr	100	do.	each collecting	30	dz. pr. daily
Boot legs	520,000	„ „	200	do.	do.	50	„ weekly
Hats	1,879,000		300	colls.	each purchasing	24	hats daily
Boys’ suits	3,600		300	do.	do.	12	suits yearly
Shirts and chemises	626,400		300	do.	do.	8	daily
Stockings of all kinds	783,000	pairs	100	do.	do.	30	pair daily
Drawers (men’s and women’s)	93,600	„	300	do.	do.	6	„ weekly
Women’s dresses of all kinds	496,800		300	do.	do.	6	dresses daily
Petticoats	939,600		300	do.	do.	12	daily
Women’s stays	261,000	pairs	100	do.	do.	10	pair do.
Children’s shirts	187,920		60	do.	do.	12	daily
Ditto petticoats	261,000		200	do.	do.	5	do.
Ditto frocks	522,000		200	do.	do.	10	do.
Cloaks (women’s), capes, visites, &c.	5,200		20	do.	do.	5	cloaks weekly
Bonnets	1,409,400		150	do.	do.	3	doz. daily
Shawls of all kinds	469,800		300	do.	do.	6	daily
Fur boas and victorines	261,000		100	do.	do.	10	do.
Fur tippets and muffs	130,500		100	do.	do.	5	do.
Umbrella and parasol frames	518,400		200	do.,	each collecting	12	daily
Household Refuse.
Tea-leaves	78,000	lbs.		...	...	...	...
Fish-skins	3,900	„	25	do.	do.	2	lbs. weekly for 6 months.
Hare-skins	80,000		50	do.	do.	50	weekly
Kitchen-stuff	62,400	lbs.	200	do.	do.	6	lbs. weekly
Dripping	52,000	„	200	do.	do.	5	„ do.
Bones	3,494,400	„	200	buyers		3	cwt. weekly
Hogwash	2,504,000	gals.	200	do.,	each purchasing	40	gal. daily
Dust (from houses)	900,000	loads		...	...	...	...
Soot	800,000	bush.	800	colls.	each collectg.	19	bush. weekly
Soil (from cesspools)	750,000	loads		...	...	...	...
Street Refuse.
Street sweepings (scavengers’)	140,983	„	444	do.	the whole „	452	lds. daily
Ditto (street orderlies’)	2,817	„	546	do.	do. „	9	„ do.
Coal and coke (mudlarks’)	64,656	cwt.	550	do.,	each collecting	42	lbs. do.
“Pure”	52,000	pails	200	do.	do.	5	pails weekly
Cigar ends	2,240	lbs.	50	do.	do.	8½	lbs. do.

bt. of old clo’men	6s. each	187,200	0	0	Sold to old clo’men and wholesale dealers.
„	3s. 3d. per pr.	50,700	0	0	Do. do.
„	7d. each	9,100	0	0	Do. do.
„	2d. „	390	0	0	Do. to wholesale and wardrobe dealers.
„	2s. per pair	1,560	0	0	Do. to old clo’men and wholesale dealers.
„	4s. 2d. each	625	0	0	Do. to wholesale and wardrobe dealers.
„	10s. „	500	0	0	Do. to wholesale dealers.
„	7d. per pair	45,500	0	0	Do. to wardrobe dealers and second-hand boot and shoe makers.
none	1s. per dz. pr.	32,400	0	0	Do. to Jews and gunsmiths to temper gun-barrels.
„	5s. „	130,000	0	0	Do. to translators.
bt. of old clo’men	4d. each	31,200	0	0	Do. to dealers and master hatters.
„	3s. a suit	540	0	0	Do. Jew dealers.
„	4d. each	10,400	0	0	Do. to old clo’men and wholesale dealers.
„	1d. per pair	3,272	10	0	Do. to wholesale and wardrobe dealers.
„	3d. „	1,170	0	0	Do. do.
„	1s. 9d. each	41,107	10	0	Do. do.
„	7d. „	27,405	0	0	Do. do.
„	5d. per pair	5,437	10	0	Do. do.
„	3d. a doz.	195	15	0	Do. do.
„	1½d. each	1,639	11	8	Do. do.
„	4d. „	8,700	0	0	Do. do.
„	4s. „	1,040	0	0	Do. to wholesale dealers.
„	6d. „	35,235	0	0	Do. do.
„	1s. 2d. „	27,405	0	0	Do. to wholesale and wardrobe dealers.
„	1s. 2d. „	15,220	0	0	Do. do.
„	1s. 2d. „	7,612	10	0	Do. do.
all	5d. „	10,300	0	0	Do. to Jews and old umbrella menders.
		675,555	6	8
„	2½d. per lb.	812	10	0	Do. to merchants to re-make into tea.
costers and fishmongers	1d. „	16	5	0	Do. to brewers to fine their ale.
all	1s. a doz.	333	6	8	Do. to Jews, hatters, and furriers.
none	1½d. per lb.	390	0	0	Do. at marine stores.
„	3d. „	650	0	0	Do. do.
1-1000th	¼d. „	105,625	0	0	Do. for manure, knife-handles, &c.
all	1d. per gallon	10,433	6	8	Do. to pig-dealers.
none	2s. 6d. per ld.	112,500	0	0	Do. for manure and to brickmakers.
„	5d. per bushel	16,666	13	4	Do. to farmers, graziers, and gardeners.
„	10s. per load	375,000	0	0	Do. for manure.
		622,427	1	8
„	3s. „	21,147	9	0	Do. do.
„	2s. 6d. „	2,352	2	6	Do. do.
„	8d. per cwt.	2,151	17	4	Do. to the poor.
„	1s. per pail	2,600	0	0	Do. to tanners and leather-dressers.
street-finders	8d. per lb.	74	13	4	Do. to Jews in Rosemary-lane.
		28,326	2	2
	Gross Total	1,406,592	1	6

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.