Mudlarks were children scavenging riverbanks for coins, metal, and lost objects. Often, they wore minimal clothing and braved cold, contaminated water. Items discovered ranged from medieval coins to personal trinkets, providing historical insight. Mudlarks honed observational skills, patience, and ingenuity. Some traded finds or sold them to collectors. This dangerous work exposed children to physical risk and disease. However, it contributed to archaeological understanding. Mudlarking blurred survival, play, and accidental education.
Mudlarking enhanced resourcefulness and practical knowledge of urban history.
It shows how Victorian children interacted with city artifacts and economic opportunity.
Did you know some mudlarks discovered jewelry from centuries prior, effectively becoming amateur historians?
[London Metropolitan Archives, londonmet.ac.uk]