London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 2

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

60440

Title

London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 2

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Henry Mayhew's seminal work documents the lives of London's street folk, from dog sellers and rubbish carters to rat hunters and cesspool workers. With vivid detail and social concern, it exposes the harsh realities of urban poverty while offering a compassionate portrait of those marginalized by industrial society.

Summary up to 500 words

In the second volume of his seminal work *London Labour and the London Poor*, Henry Mayhew expands his investigation into the diverse and often brutal world of London's street economy. The narrative begins with the trade in sporting dogs, tracing their history from the bear-baiting spectacles of Queen Elizabeth to the modern rat-hunting pits where terriers earn their keep. Mayhew interviews dealers and owners, revealing how wealthy patrons fuel a cruel underground sport while working-class hawkers navigate a precarious existence selling these animals. The text details the decline of public dog-fights and the rise of private matches among the rich, noting that bull-dogs are now merely fancy dogs rather than fighters. A significant portion of the volume is dedicated to rubbish carters. Through extensive tables, Mayhew documents the grueling workloads, weekly wages, and seasonal employment patterns of hundreds of men across London's districts, from Kensington to Greenwich. He highlights the stark contrast between those born to street life and those driven there by unemployment or declining wages in traditional trades. Furthermore, Mayhew investigates the management of waste, describing the processing of human excrement into 'poudrette' (fertilizer). He notes the dangers of fermentation aboard ships carrying this cargo and the difficult drying process required to make it safe for agricultural use, citing historical accidents caused by moisture and heat. Throughout his inquiry, Mayhew advocates for the establishment of regulated 'poor men's markets' to improve the character and conditions of hawkers. He argues that their ignorance is not a demerit but a result of systemic neglect. His tone balances journalistic rigor with deep empathy, challenging readers to see the humanity behind the stereotypes of the London poor and urging society to address the root causes of street poverty rather than merely reviling its inhabitants.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Social Conditions
• Working Class