Mudlark
Mudlarks, mostly impoverished children and adults, scavenged along the muddy banks of the Thames River in London during the 18th and 19th centuries. Their aim was to find anything valuable: coal chunks, discarded bones, or metal scraps. Unfortunately, this meant wading through raw sewage, industrial waste, and the river’s notorious filth, exposing them to countless health risks.
Despite the squalor, mudlarks often earned enough to survive in grim conditions, embodying human resilience amid urban poverty. Today, the romanticized image of mudlarks exists mostly in historical accounts and hobbyists who search for artifacts along the river, far removed from the desperation of the original job.
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