University of Virginia Library

OF MUFFIN AND CRUMPET-SELLING IN
THE STREETS.

The street-sellers of muffins and crumpets
rank among the old street-tradesmen. It is
difficult to estimate their numbers, but they
were computed for me at 500, during the winter
months. They are for the most part boys, young
men, or old men, and some of them infirm.
There are a few girls in the trade, but very few
women.

The ringing of the muffin-man's bell — at-
tached to which the pleasant associations are not
a few — was prohibited by a recent Act of Par-
liament, but the prohibition has been as inope-
rative as that which forbad the use of a drum
to the costermonger, for the muffin bell still
tinkles along the streets, and is rung vigorously
in the suburbs. The sellers of muffins and
crumpets are a mixed class, but I am told that
more of them are the children of bakers, or
worn-out bakers, than can be said of any other
calling. The best sale is in the suburbs. "As
far as I know, sir," said a muffin-seller, "it's
the best Hackney way, and Stoke Newington,
and Dalston, and Balls Pond, and Islington;
where the gents that's in banks — the steady
coves of them — goes home to their teas, and the
missuses has muffins to welcome them; that's
my opinion."

I did not hear of any street-seller who made
the muffins or crumpets he vended. Indeed, he
could not make the small quantity required, so
as to be remunerative. The muffins are bought
of the bakers, and at prices to leave a profit
of 4d. in 1s. Some bakers give thirteen to the
dozen to the street-sellers whom they know.
The muffin-man carries his delicacies in a
basket, wherein they are well swathed in
flannel, to retain the heat: "People likes them
warm, sir," an old man told me, "to satisfy
them they're fresh, and they almost always
are fresh; but it can't matter so much about
their being warm, as they have to be toasted
again. I only wish good butter was a sight
cheaper, and that would make the muffins go.
Butter's half the battle." The basket and
flannels cost the muffin-man 2s. 6d. or 3s. 6d. His bell stands him in from 4d. to 2s., "accord-
ing as the metal is." The regular price of good-
sized muffins from the street-sellers is a half-
penny each; the crumpets are four a penny.
Some are sold cheaper, but these are generally
smaller, or made of inferior flour. Most of the
street-sellers give thirteen, and some even four-
teen to the dozen, especially if the purchase be
made early in the day, as the muffin-man can
then, if he deem it prudent, obtain a further
supply.

A sharp London lad of fourteen, whose father
had been a journeyman baker, and whose mother
(a widow) kept a small chandler's shop, gave me
the following account: —

"I turns out with muffins and crumpets, sir,
in October, and continues until it gets well into
the spring, according to the weather. I carries
a fust-rate article; werry much so. If you was
to taste 'em, sir, you'd say the same. If I sells
three dozen muffins at ½d. each, and twice that
in crumpets, it's a werry fair day, werry fair; all
beyond that is a good day. The profit on the
three dozen and the others is 1s., but that's a
great help, really a wonderful help, to mother, for
I should be only mindin' the shop at home.
Perhaps I clears 4s. a week, perhaps more, per-
haps less; but that's about it, sir. Some does
far better than that, and some can't hold a
candle to it. If I has a hextra day's sale,
mother'll give me 3d. to go to the play, and that
hencourages a young man, you know, sir. If
there's any unsold, a coffee-shop gets them
cheap, and puts 'em off cheap again next morn-
ing. My best customers is genteel houses, 'cause
I sells a genteel thing. I likes wet days best,
'cause there's werry respectable ladies what don't

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keep a servant, and they buys to save them-
selves going out. We're a great conwenience
to the ladies, sir — a great conwenience to them
as likes a slap-up tea. I have made 1s. 8d. in a day; that was my best. I once took
only 2½d. — I don't know why — that was my
worst. The shops don't love me — I puts their
noses out. Sunday is no better day than others,
or werry little. I can read, but wish I could
read easier."

Calculating 500 muffin-sellers, each clearing
4s. a week, we find 300l. a week expended on
the metropolitan street sale of muffins; or, in
the course of twenty weeks, 2,000l. Five shil-
lings, with the price of a basket, &c., which is
about 3s. 6d. more, is the capital required for a
start.