Dutch-Colonies-L Archives

Archiver > Dutch-Colonies > 2002-03 > 1017494241


From: Cor Snabel <>
Subject: [D-Col] Obsolete occupations - Hawker
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2002 14:17:21 +0100


Dear friends,

On 10 March Pieter van Schaik asked me to do some research for a story
about the leurster (or the male leurder). This appeared to be more
difficult than I expected. The English language does not (as far as I
could find out) make the same difference between the few traveling
tradesmen as the Dutch language does. Although the words kramer, venter
and leurder are mentioned in any dictionary as interchangeable for
hawker or peddler, there is a slight difference in using these three
Dutch names; it’s a matter of image and reputation.

Regards,
Cor Snabel
The Netherlands

----------------------------------------------------

Hawker and peddler (marskramer and leurder)

The traveling merchant has always been a controversial person; the
established shopkeeper tried to banish him from his territory and was
always assisted in this struggle by the guilds. The shopkeeper had the
burden of a mortgage, rent or taxes, even in slack season, like in
winter. The hawker was free of those costs, so he could offer his
merchandise much cheaper than his city rival and that was considered to
be unfair competition.
But not only the hawker was a threat, the guilds also tried to banish
the street vendor. Regulations were issued, that only stores and
warehouses were allowed to sell certain articles and that the
merchandise could not be exposed on the streets or in a vehicle. But all
these restrictions did not stop the hawker and all other traveling
merchants.

We knew a few kinds of these traveling merchants: first the hawker
(marskramer), who traveled from village to village in his own area,
known by almost every villager and farmer. He had his variety of
merchandise, like ribbons, buttons, clocks, anything light, because he
had to carry it in his –mars-, a basket, which he carried on his back.
He was considered to be a more or less reliable merchant.
The street vendor had his own territory too, but he (or she) did not
have his own costumers, usually he roamed the streets announcing his
presence by yelling, singing or other noises. Most of them had their own
special merchandise,
The third category was the leurder (maybe translated as peddler); his
position was close to the odd-jobber or even the beggar. He went from
house to house, peddling his merchandise, which could be anything.


This thread: