RootsChat.Com

Some Special Interests => Occupation Interests => Topic started by: celia on Tuesday 09 August 05 17:19 BST (UK)

Title: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: celia on Tuesday 09 August 05 17:19 BST (UK)
The other day i was going through a liverpool directory.The traders page. I found a "slop sellers" what kind of slop did the slop sellers sell.Dont know if  realy want to know ;D

Celia  
Title: Re: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: janan on Tuesday 09 August 05 17:31 BST (UK)
It's OK Celia, it's not what you were thinking ;D
Slopseller  1) Slopshop keeper - readymade clothes 2) Basket seller 
from this excellent site
http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/
Cheers Jan ;)
Title: Re: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: celia on Tuesday 09 August 05 18:38 BST (UK)
Well i would never have associated a slopseller with clothes in a million years.This was in liverpool where did that word come from and where did it go?

Celia
Title: Re: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: Emjaybee on Tuesday 09 August 05 18:39 BST (UK)
My old Dad always wore a slop in the garden, and the dairymen always wore a white slop.
Title: Re: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: genieology on Saturday 13 August 05 19:59 BST (UK)
My husband is in the Royal Navy, they go to "Slops" for extra bits of kit
Title: Re: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: little meg on Monday 05 December 05 03:49 GMT (UK)
I have a reference to boots, referred to as " a slop article".
margaret
Title: Re: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: davierj on Monday 05 December 05 20:26 GMT (UK)
I understood slops were the clothes issued by the Purser in the 18th/19th century navy.
Cheers Dave
Title: Re: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: Jane Eden on Monday 05 December 05 20:33 GMT (UK)
Hi

Just to make you all feel ill:

Slopseller: Human urine buyer/seller in the alum trade's 'slopshops'.
                  Sometimes a seller of old clothes - 'sloppy clothing'

From: A dictionary of old trades, titles and occupations, Colin Waters

Jane
Title: Re: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: goggy on Saturday 24 December 05 05:46 GMT (UK)
And just for the record,M.N ship's,deep sea,long trip's or tramping,carried Slop chest's of new ,cheap clothing sometime's useful cast off's.Used for really mucky job's,or just to get you ashore to the nearest 'hostelry',or bespoke tailor!!
             Goggy. ;)
Title: Re: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: Lydart on Monday 13 November 06 10:45 GMT (UK)
Not sure if I really want to join this thread ...

Quote
Just to make you all feel ill:
Slopseller: Human urine buyer/seller in the alum trade's 'slopshops'.

... but I can remember as a child staying with my grandmother (late 1940's ?) and hearing her saying, as she went out of the backdoor, 'Just going to empty the slops' ... she was, of course, carrying her night-time potty from under the bed ! 

And I have to say, I believe (never having witnessed it thank goodness !) that my organic gardener son-in-law regularly pee's on the compost heap, to help with decomposition of weeds and waste.

Maybe that's a good place to end this thread ??!!

Title: Re: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: goggy on Tuesday 14 November 06 02:28 GMT (UK)
Well,Well,Well!
As mentioned earlier,ship,s had slop chest,s,from which clothing of the "just cover me type",could either be issued for mucky job,s,or bought at exorbitant price,s,you need the gear,you buy it!
T'other slop,s used on growing thing,s,never,never wasted in place,s where commercial and now proven,quick fix,fertiliser,s were either not available or too expensive.Commonly known as Gardener,s Gold!!
Rice from China was banned here in Australia,and thousand,s of acre,s given over to Home produce.In the driest Continent ,or one of,not a good decision?
Gardeners Gold is still used here today,and if truth be told anywhere where organic,s rule!
Genetically Modified is the latest no-no,but some organic poison,s are are still available for those that want them.
"Silent Spring" wasn't a comic book,but a sincere warning.
Sorry!My chain was rattled.
        Goggy. ;) ;D
Title: Re: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: Londoner2 on Saturday 14 October 17 15:40 BST (UK)
Slops are ready-made clothes, as compared to bespoke, tailor-made.

The origin seems to be:
"Late 14c., "loose outer garment," probably from Middle Dutch slop, of uncertain origin, corresponding to words in Old Norse and perhaps in Old English. Sense extended generally to "clothing, ready-made clothing" (1660s), usually in plural slops. Hence, also, slop-shop "shop where ready-made clothes are sold" (1723)."
Slop shops were supplied by sweated labour, in homes or small workshops, paid the minimum possible. Though it often means ready-made work clothes, it covers all ready-made clothing.  It was lucrative back then, and it is lucrative now. E.g. Primark, and most of the retail fashion industry, and the work clothes industry.

A modern example of a wealthy slop seller:  Consider the multi-millionaire Richard Caring who in the 1970s was about the first UK fashion company to get manufacturing done in Hong Kong etc., having trained the manufacturers to make his designs to a good standard (see Wikipedia entry for Richard Caring).
Title: Re: What on earth did he sell?
Post by: John915 on Saturday 14 October 17 16:24 BST (UK)
Good afternoon,

Not sure if I really want to join this thread ...

Quote
And I have to say, I believe (never having witnessed it thank goodness !) that my organic gardener son-in-law regularly pee's on the compost heap, to help with decomposition of weeds and waste.

When I grew all my own veggies I did the same. You can buy proprietry compost starters at the garden centre. They start help start of the anorobic action to make good compost. Human urine does the same job and a very good job too and it's free so why not.

John915