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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What did some of the boys do to earn tips while serving as crossing sweeps?
(a) Help a chimney sweep take his equipment up on the roof.
(b) Saddle horses.
(c) Run alongside buses and entertain the passengers.
(d) Hang out wash.

2. To whom did some merchants loan stock at no cost?
(a) Male costers who sold food.
(b) Male costers with families.
(c) Female costers selling nearby.
(d) Female costers who sold newspapers.

3. What percentage of costermongers did not own their stock?
(a) Seventy-five percent.
(b) Fifty percent.
(c) Ninety percent.
(d) Thirty percent.

4. What would very occasionally happen to a dependable crossing sweep?
(a) He would be hired by the city council to supervise other crossing sweeps.
(b) He would be given such good tips he could retire.
(c) He would be beat up by less scrupulous workers.
(d) He would be given a job as footman or porter in a household.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What did most costermongers do with their children?

2. How did Mike manage to live?

3. What kind of low lodging house segregated the renters by sex?

4. What was another name for a patterer?

5. What did crossing sweeps do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were some of the circumstances in the better lodging houses for the street people?

2. How did the costermongers obtain their merchandise and what were the circumstances for borrowing?

3. What was the usual marriage and family situations like with costermongers?

4. Where did orphan or runaway coster children live and how did they get money?

5. How honest were costers' suppliers and how did the costers deal with dishonesty?

6. What modern institutions did Costermongers fill in the 1800's London and what are some of the merchandise they sold? What did the more intelligent costers do?

7. How much education did most costermongers have and what was the general extent of their intellectual abilities?

8. What was the story Mayhew told about a crossing sweep from Dublin?

9. How did crossing sweeps earn a living?

10. About how much coal was used in London in a year and who was responsible for cleaning the aftermath of coal use?

(see the answer keys)

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