View a FREE sample

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Volume 1: Of the London Street-folk.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What did most costermongers do with their children?
(a) Did their best to support them.
(b) Sent them to orphanages.
(c) Farmed them out.
(d) Left the babies to the elements so they didn't have to keep them.

2. How did coster runaway children usually support themselves?
(a) Joining the military.
(b) Living with another adult.
(c) Selling items on the street.
(d) Entering orphanages.

3. What were the two usual reasons customers bought from patterers?
(a) For the entertainment and because they believed the spiel.
(b) The patterers were almost always pretty, young women.
(c) They felt God wanted them to buy.
(d) To make fun of the patterers.

4. Into what kind of fund did residents of better lodging houses pay?
(a) Medical care funds.
(b) Entertainment funds.
(c) General maintenance funds.
(d) Newspaper funds.

5. To what was street vending an alternative?
(a) Being hung.
(b) Going to jail.
(c) Going to the workhouse.
(d) Being sent to the military.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did Mayhew say many costermongers lived in sin?

2. To whom did some merchants loan stock at no cost?

3. What did Mayhew think of the reason for wealthier people to become patterers?

4. What percentage of costermongers did not own their stock?

5. On what did coster children often waste their money?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 258 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample