Daily AncestorHawker
A hawker sold small goods by calling them out in the street or carrying them door to door, much like a peddler or huckster.
Hawkers carried their goods in a basket, tray or small cart, selling things such as fruit, newspapers, notions and cheap wares. Towns sometimes required hawkers and peddlers to buy a license.
The word is more common in British records; American census takers were told to write huckster or peddler. A different hawker, someone who trains hawks, is rare in records.
As seen in a recordBritish census occupation column
Mary Ann Doyle, 40, Hawker
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Hawker." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/hawker. Last checked 2026-10-01.