Record Number: 1264

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Henry Mayhew interviews a street author or street poet: "I was very fond of reading poems in my youth, as soon as I could read and understand almost. Yes, very likely sir; perhaps it was that put it into my head to write them afterwards... I was very fond of Goldsmith's poetry always. I can repeat 'Edwin and Emma' now. No sir; I never read the 'Vicar of Wakefield'. I found 'Edwin and Emma' in a book called the 'Speaker'. I often thought of it in travelling through some parts of the country." + recites some of his own poetry to Mayhew

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1840 and 31 Dec 1849

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:

anon

Age:

Unknown

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Labourer (non-agricultural)

Occupation:

street author or poet

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:

Oliver Goldsmith

Title:

Edwin and Angelina

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

probably published in a book called the Speaker?

Provenance

unknown

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

1264

Source:

Print

Author:

Henry Mayhew

Editor:

n/a

Title:

London Labour and the London Poor

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1861

Vol:

1

Page:

279

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor (London, 1861), 1, p. 279, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=1264, accessed: 27 April 2024

---

Additional Comments:

Mayhew stated that the street author was now about 45 years of age