Street Markets and buying and selling in Stepney

Many street markets were held in Stepney in the 19th century. Rosemary Lane, Ratcliffe Highway, Commercial Road, Limehouse, Mile End, Bethnal Green and Whitechapel.

Of these, Whitechapel was by far the largest with 258 coster- mongers (someone who sells fruit and vegetables from a barrow in the street), Ratcliffe Highway and Rosemary Lane coming poor seconds being less than half this size. The streets of Stepney teemed with life.

The street traffic usually began at 1pm and the chief business was the sale of articles which had been thrown away as rubbish. Buyers roamed the streets buying anything which had been trhown away as rubbish. Crockery was exchanged for rag and old clothes. Rags, metal, bottles, old linen, locks, keys. People grubbed through discarded refuse to find things to sell. Rags, metal, bottles, glass, bones, paper, old carpets, rope, string, old linen, locks, keys. Everything had a value and nothing was worthless.

The front rooms of some houses near the markets were turned into shops and the contents often spilled out onto the pavement. Across the fronts of some houses hung old clothes, carpets, curtains - anything which had even the smallest value. Many people from this area could not afford new clothing. Rag and bottle shops abounded and the smell from them was quite appalling. Piled together, each with its own place in the shop were sacks of old bones, piles of dirty old clothes, pots and bowls filled with grease and dripping.

Street sellers, sometimes selling in a market from stall or roving the streets with one special line, sold almost anything one could imagine and a lot one couldn't. Women doing dirty jobs tied and old sack around their waist as an apron and wore men's cloth caps.

From market stalls one could buy fish, fruit, vegetables, flowers, watercress, apples, nuts, oranges, coffee, hot eels, pea soup, hot potatoes, cakes, tarts, various fruit pies (apple, currant, gooseberries, plums, damson, cherries, raspberries, rhubarb, mincemeat), pastries, shucked peas, whelks, oysters, sheep's trotters, fried fish, ham sandwiches, kidney puddings, boiled meat puddings, beef, mutton, kidney and eel pies, buns, muffins, crumpets, sweets, coughdrops, laces, ices, ginger beer, lemonade, dogs and cats meat, tripe, gingerbread, newspapers, books, fresh and cooked foods, meat of all kinds, tea, meat and currant puddings which were more like dumplings, songsellers. sherbert, peppermint water, curds and whey, hot elder cordial, rice milk, water, milk, nutmeg graters, 2nd hand musical instruments, old clothes, biscuits, dates, figs, coconuts, knives, scissors, stationery, stockings, pencils, puppies, hedgehogs, snakes, slow worms, adders, lizards, snails, frogs, wild flowers, bulrushes, birds nests with eggs, birds, live fish, reptiles, exotic birds (which were often ordinary green finches which had been painted).

Amongst the stalls roamed the 'patterers' who told tales both real and fictional. To the side of the road was the knife grinder who sat on the back of his cart with its large wheels which stood about 4 foot high. There he would peddle to turn the grinding wheel on which he sharpened knives and scissors. Peddlars sold thread, needles, pins etc from a basket and over their shoulders carried a sack containing their travelling.

Entertaining passers-by were the street musicians, the organ grinders and hurdy gurdy players, conjurers, tumblers, punch and judy, street clowns. Outside theatres, music halls and public houses, buskers and beggars waited hoping for a little generosity.

On the river beersellers went from ship to ship by skiffs, ringing a bell to draw attention.

Markets were always popular and held in many places. The one in Rosemary Lane (now Royal Mint St) ran from the junction of Leman and Dock St to the Minories. The streets in which markets were held were often narrow and dirty. Other markets s were held in Bethnal Green, Whitechapel, Mile End, Commercial Road East, Limehouse, Ratcliffe Highway.

Randall's Market was founded by Onisiphodros Randall in about 1850.

(To learn more read London by Hermione House.)

See also The Columbia Market and Baroness Burdett-Coutts