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For more about shops and shopping.
see the 'shops and tradesmen' tab in the above menu.
The corn chandler sold animal food:- bran, corn, maize and other meal and grains. Each type was in its own large wooden container fixed against the wall, and there was a scoop to ladle out whatever customers ordered into individual paper bags. The shop had its own unique smell, mainly because of the chicken feed.
A Victorian or Edwardian birdcage, photographed at the Museum of Nottingham Life.
The corn chandler's shop was well-used because many families kept chickens and rabbits for food, even though their gardens were small. There was also a need for seed for birds kept as pets in cages and for the sand in their trays.
The shop also sold something that I haven’t seen for years: rock sulphur. It was sold for dogs' drinking bowls as it was supposed to make them calmer and more comfortable. It was not uncommon to see dogs' drinking bowls outside shops and they always contained a lump of rock sulphur. I don’t know whether it worked.
The shop also sold garden goods, like fly papers which were about two feet long and 4 inches wide. Some women hung them indoors from their gas brackets to attract and kill flies.
There were two fish shops in Edmonton. One was Bennett's which was by the station and the other, which was nearer to us in Lopen Road, was owned by Steve Hatts. Although he was disabled, he had such a happy nature. His shop sold wet fish. A strong favourite of mine was herrings and I also liked bloaters. Although you can buy them today, they never seem to have that fresh look of my childhood with their gleaming scales.
The 1911 census shows that my mother's was right about one of the fish shops: John Bennett, 39, fishmonger, born Bethal Green lived at 113 Silver Street with his wife Harriet, 42, born Stepney, and his step daughter Mary Mable, 15 born Bethnal Green.
In 1911, there were two other fishmongers in Silver Street: One was George Payne, 32, born Hackney living at 13 Silver Street with his wife Rose, 28, born Stepney, who assisted with business, and sons George 7 and William 2. The other was Amelia Brooks, 53, born Homerton London, living at 87 Silver Street with her daughter Minnie, 20, born Hackney, he son Harold, 16, born Hackney and daughter Violet, 14, born Tottenham. All the older children assisted in the business.
However, there seems to be no Steve Hatts in the 1911 census for Edmonton. As my mother has been so remarkably accurate about the names of the other individuals she has wrote about, Steve Hatts must have moved in after 1911. I may also of course be transcribing his name wrongly.
Our mothers could ask the fishmonger whether they wanted, hard roes or soft roes. To find out which was which, the fishmonger would press the side of the fish with his hands and from a small hole out would come a tiny amount of roe, which he could recognize as hard or soft.
I think the shop was mostly known for its fried fish. The frying took place at the rear of the shop. We children could watch it because around the counter were sacks of potatoes for the chips and we would climb on them to see over the counter. Mrs Hatts would be standing over large vats of bubbling oil, with vapour billowing out. She would have two containers, one with flour and the other with batter made with flour and water. She would dip the pieces of fish into the flour, then into the batter and then then drop it into the hot oil. It would sizzle away until it was golden brown. Then she would take it out with a wire slice with a longish handle and put it onto a wire rack to drain off the surplus oil. All the time, noise was going on round the counter with people shouting orders.
When the fish was ready, our mothers were asked if they would like any salt or vinegar. Then the whole order was wrapped in newspaper to be taken away.
The pieces of batter that came off the fish were called crackling and we children would buy it in halfpenny portions.
You could always recognize a barber's shop, because there was a red and white pole outside, about 18 inches high and 4 inches across. They cut hair and they did shaving.
I have been unable to find a barber names Rawlinson in Silver Street in the 1911 census. so he probably arrived later. Pat Cryer
A good barber was well sought after because being able to trust oneself to someone with an open razor was obviously important. The local barber was owned by the Rawlinson family.
A man to be shaved would first have a towel over his shoulders and under his chin. Then barber would work up a lather with a small brush and soap, apply the lather with the brush and use the razor to scrape it off. Finally the man would have a warm towel put round his face which was supposed to help the skin feel better.
Many men (and children) got their wives to cut their hair. It was all a matter of cost - but couldn't you tell!
My mother also bought from people who worked from the streets rather than from shops - see the separate page on street merchants.
These are childhood recollections of local shops and tradesmen in a working class area of north London around the time of the 1911 census. They include; the corn chandler; the fishmonger; the barber; and street merchants.