Genealogy Chat

No Hawkers Circulars Canvassers, was a sign put up on the front gate of a great deal of houses in the old days to stop people from knocking on your door to try and sell things to you. Rod

If they were on the census as Greengrocers they could have had a barrow & sold their goods on a market. Georgina.

i have found in a 1930s law book this defanition. HAWKER. A hawker is a person who travels with a Horse or other Beast of Burden, and goes from place to place or house to house exposing goods for sale, or any person who travels to places other than where they resides by any means of locomotion and there exposes goods for sale in any shop, stall or other hired place. Hawkers must take out annual excise licences (£2) and, under pain of fine or imprisonment, must produce a current license upon demand. Exemptions:(1) Commercial Travellers;(2) the original makers of the goods hawked and his children, or servants residing in the same house as himself;(3) sellers of victuals and coal;(4) sellers in public and legally established markets or fairs. The licence is first granted only on the production of a certificate of good character from a local inspector of police, justice of the peace or clergyman. A hawker must have the words 'licensed hawker' on each of his vehicles, shops, boxs or handbills. PEDLAR. A Pedlar is a person who travels on foot from town to town or house to house exposing goods for sale or barter, or obtaining orders for immediate delivery, or offering his skill in handicraft (eg. tinkers and chairmenders are pedlers). A pedlar must obtain a Police Certificate (five shillings) by application to the chief police officer of the district in which he has resided for at least one month. He must show his certificate on demant to any constable or person to whom he offers his goods for sale. The following to not require a certificate to act as pedlars: (1) Commercial Travellers;(2) the sellers of victuals;(3) sellers in public and legally constituted markets or fairs.

Hawker / Huckster Peddler or street seller. Itinerant street dealer who carried his wares with him. Often used as a term of abuse.

Don't know found them in one census as green grocers..

Most of my gypsies are down as hawkers, on census's and certs. Are you sure their not gypsies?

You are right Wilde Childe. Also know as a Pedler. The act came in if I recall right 1872 which allowed you to call from door to door selling goods immediatly for sale. They brought the legislation in as many 'old soldiers' were wandering around the country selling this and that so it kept tabs on who was licensed as they had to have a police check carried out and lived in the area for at least a month. The Vagrancy Act came in a little earlier for the same reason.

Hawker / Huckster Peddler or street seller. Itinerant street dealer who carried his wares with him. http://rmhh*.*co.uk/occup/h.html

Yes, I think that is exactly what it is. Kathlyn

Yes as i understand it its a door to door salesman or a street seller

I thought it was someone that went round selling stuff door to door, Its on my rellies wedding cert.....1903