Victorian Urban Legends: The Gentleman Crossing-Sweeper June 10, 2022
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern
***I’m putting a series of Victorian Urban Legends posts up to draw the reader’s attention to my forthcoming book: The Nail in the Skull and Other Victorian Urban Legends. This legend (with full references) will appear in a second volume. If anyone can fill in missing pieces or offer other sources… I’ll be grateful and you’ll […]
Three Beggar’d Tales March 14, 2018
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern
This is a French story about a beggar in London (though recorded in a London newspaper…) The beggar in question was, it seems, in the habit of sitting at one of our bridges, accompanied by a dog with a placard inscribed ‘Blind’ attached to his neck, and was fortunate enough to awaken the charitable sympathies […]
Beggar for a Day June 18, 2017
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern
Beach has long been curious about the begging life and was fascinated to run across this article from 1889 about how difficult it was to make money in London by holding out your hand. A clearly middle class man took a bet with his friends, after dinner, and presumably after taking port, that he could […]
