Congreve Seller.

[johnniegarve]

Folks, I came across a reference to a "Congreve Seller" as an occupation in Edinburgh, mid 19th cent', any ideas.

[AndrewP]

Hi Johnnie,

From Chamber's Dictionary:
Congreve:
... a rocket for use in war
... a kind of friction match
both possibly invented by Sir William Congreve (1772-1828)

I would like to think he was a match seller.

All the best,

AndrewP

[Currie]

I reckon Andrew has it. Speaking of street-sellers (hawkers?), here's an interesting collection of illustrations taken from daguerreotype photographs and published in “London Labour and London Poor”, by Henry Mayhew, 1851. http://www.victorianlondon.org/mayhew/m ... acters.htm

Pages 431 to 433 of the book has information about street match-sellers.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=vnR ... 22&f=false

Alan

[johnniegarve]

Matchsellers it is guys, many thanks. Johnnie.