Record Number: 1280

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Henry Mayhew interviews a juvenile crossing sweeper: "I can read and write -oh, yes, I mean read and write well -read anything, even old English; and I write pretty fair, -though I don't get much reading now, unless it's a penny paper -I've got one in my pocket now -it's the London Journal -there's a tale in it now about two brothers, and one of them steals the child away and puts another in his place, and then he gets found out, and all that, and he's just falling off a bridge now..."

Century:

1800-1849, 1850-1899

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1840 and 31 Dec 1859

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: London

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

---

Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Jack

Age:

Child (0-17)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Labourer (non-agricultural)

Occupation:

crossing sweeper

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

n/a

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

---

Text Being Read:

Author:

Title:

London Journal

Genre:

Fiction, Ephemera

Form of Text:

Print: Serial / periodical

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

1280

Source:

Print

Author:

Henry Mayhew

Editor:

n/a

Title:

London Labour and the London Poor

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1861

Vol:

2

Page:

495

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, (London, 1861), 2, p. 495, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=1280, accessed: 13 September 2024

---

Additional Comments:

Mayhew writes that he is about 15 years of age