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Hawker and Traveller

P

Petal

proper brummie kid
My great great etc grandfather John Flavell is listed on his son's marriage certificate as a "traveller" (1850's)

At first glance I wondered if he was linked to a gypsie family, but I presume this could have meant something else back then? He was living at a fixed address in steelhouse lane and his son's all had jobs as Gun Stockers (1841 census). I also found him listed in the 1841 census return as a Hawker (which I looked up as a street seller linked to gypsie families).

I just wondered if anyone had come across this before, and whether he could be linked to a gypsie family, or if this meant something different then.

Many Thanks
 
He would have been a travelling salesman. not gypsy-oriented but going from town to town selling various goods. A "Hawker" is a seller (Hawking his wares is the technical description for selling his goods)
 
Yes Petal, my 2 x gt.grandfather was also a Hawker at one time an this is what a hawker did:

[1] Street seller who cried his wares in town,
[2] Often applied to country peddlers as a term of abuse,
[3] Itinerant dealer who carried his wares on his back.

Judy
 
Petal said:
My great great etc grandfather John Flavell is listed on his son's marriage certificate as a "traveller" (1850's)

At first glance I wondered if he was linked to a gypsie family, but I presume this could have meant something else back then? He was living at a fixed address in steelhouse lane and his son's all had jobs as Gun Stockers (1841 census). I also found him listed in the 1841 census return as a Hawker (which I looked up as a street seller linked to gypsie families).

I just wondered if anyone had come across this before, and whether he could be linked to a gypsie family, or if this meant something different then.

Many Thanks
Click to expand...

My Gt Grandfather was a hawker and he sold fish from a barrow.
 
When I was growing up many people had a small plaque on their garden gate
that said something like..."No Hawkers or Pedlars should call". I expect that would mean those salesmen who sold goods door to door and perhaps the Fuller Brush Man and Goblin Vacuum Cleaners for instance. I personally liked the Fuller Brush co's goods and we didn't have a no Hawkers, etc. sign at our house.
 
I'm pretty sure a traveller was similar to whats now called a sales rep.

Travelling around from business to businees taking orders for goods etc.
 
I agree colh,

The people that went round to business taking orders, were commonly known as,
commercial travellers.

Nick
 
There is an interesting paper by Christopher P Hosgood called 'Kings of the Road' If you google it you will find it and it actaully says that Travellers were indeed travelling sales people and certainly towards the end of the 19thc, some were making quiet a reasonable salary and had middle class aspirations.
 
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