The Mud-Lark

This engraving was published in Henry Mayhew's 4th volume of 'London Labour and the London Poor: The condition of those that will work, cannot work, and will not work', published in 1861, the first three volumes having first been published in 1851. This fourth volume focused on 'those that will not work comprising prostitutes, thieves, swindlers, beggars'. The inclusion of mudlarks within this category was due to their perceived association with thieving materials from ships and dockyards.
Mayhew commissioned the photographer Richard Beard to make daguerreotype portraits of some of the 'street folk' he interviewed. These were copied to make engravings to accompany the text of the published book.

Mayhew's observations of mud-larks concluded 'They generally consist of boys and girls, varying in age from eight to fourteen or fifteen; with some persons of more advanced years. For the most part they are ragged, and in a very filthy state, and are a peculiar class, confined to the river. The parents of many of them are coalwhippers—Irish cockneys—employed getting coals out of the ships, and their mothers frequently sell fruit in the street...The police make numerous detections of these offences. Some of the mudlarks receive a short term of imprisonment, from three weeks to a month, and others two months with three years in a reformatory. They are mostly at work along the coal wharves where the barges are lying aground, such as at Shadwell and Wapping, along Bankside, Borough; above Waterloo Bridge, and from the Temple down to St. Paul’s Wharf. Some of them pay visits to the City Gasworks, and steal coke and coal from their barges, where the police have made many detections.
As soon as the tide is out they make their appearance, and remain till it comes in. Many of them commence their career with stealing rope or coals from the barges, then proceed to take copper from the vessels, and afterwards go down into the cabins and commit piracy.
These mudlarks are generally strong and healthy, though their clothes are in rags. Their fathers are robust men. By going too often to the public-house they keep their families in destitution, and the mothers of the poor children are glad to get a few pence in whatever way they can.
The print is a portrait of a 13 year old mudlark found by Mayhew on the Thames at Millwall, to the eastward of Ratcliffe Highway scavaging onn the foreshore alongside his younger brother. 'He was an Irish lad of about thirteen years of age, strong and healthy in appearance, with Irish features and accent. He was dressed in a brown fustian coat and vest, dirty greasy canvas trousers roughly-patched, striped shirt with the collar folded down, and a cap with a peak.' The mudlark told Mayhew his family arrived in London from Ireland about 7 years ago. His Father, a farmer in Ireland now worked in the docks and two older brothers were seamen. The boy had left school aged 11 to work as a mudlark. He described in detail how he sourced the coal, copper, iron and wood he sold to contribute to the family income. While some of these materials were found in the river he also described more dubious means and ways of acquiring material and noted 'We are often chased by the Thames’ police and the watermen, as the mudlarks are generally known to be thieves. I take what I can get as well as the rest when I get an opportunity....I have been in the habit of stealing pieces of rope, lumps of coal, and other articles for the last two years; but my parents do not know of this. I have never been tried before the police court for any felony.'