costermonger

“If someone’s fruit went off, or the donkey was ill, or something like that,” said Mr. Bennett, describing how the costermongers would have a singalong and pass around a bucket for donations.

London’s filthy streets were a bedlam of costermongers, urchins, coffee wagons and tall-hatted bobbies.

Mayhew has a special affinity for “street folk”, in particular London’s costermongers:

What does Sir Roger himself make of the idea that a costermonger might have got there before him, in the 18th Century?

Amongst costermongers this term is invariably applied to ladies, or the wives of tradesmen and females, generally of the classes immediately above them.”