Project Gutenberg 2017-08-07 Public domain in the USA. 248 Smith, John Thomas 1766 1833 Smith, J. T. (John Thomas) Douce, Francis 1757 1834 Douce, F. (Francis) 14015641 Lives of Famous London Beggars With Forty Portraits of the Most Remarkable. Produced by deaurider, cpinfield and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) "Lives of Famous London Beggars" by John Thomas Smith is a historical account written in the early 19th century. The work provides a vivid portrayal of various mendicants who roamed the streets of London, coupled with detailed illustrations of notable individuals from this social class. Smith's intention appears to be not just to document these figures, but to explore their lives and the societal perceptions surrounding begging in London during that period. The opening of the book sets the scene by presenting a preface that addresses both the historical context of begging in London and the reasons behind the author's exploration of this subject. Smith acknowledges the rise of mendicity in London, noting both its impact on society and the challenges associated with distinguishing genuine beggars from impostors. He introduces the idea that famous artists have historically depicted beggars, hinting at a cultural fascination with their lives, suggesting that the understanding of such characters is essential for appreciating broader societal dynamics. This introduction establishes a framework for the portraits and anecdotes that follow, inviting readers to consider the complexity of the lives of those often dismissed as mere street-dwellers. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 59.7 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Beggars -- England -- London HV Text Category: History - British 143995 2025-08-22T06:51:21.981710 text/html 120243 2024-10-23T02:28:54 text/html 2602393 2025-08-22T06:51:25.462725 application/epub+zip 2604011 2025-08-22T06:51:22.855739 application/epub+zip 111622 2025-08-22T06:51:22.416736 application/epub+zip 2666218 2025-08-22T06:51:27.850703 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 2563296 2025-08-22T06:51:25.041741 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 154645 2022-08-25T04:02:50.185972 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 123937 2025-08-22T06:51:21.649775 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 104023 2024-10-23T02:28:54 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 16872 2025-08-22T06:51:27.991688 application/rdf+xml 13500 2025-08-22T06:51:22.491706 image/jpeg 2317 2025-08-22T06:51:22.452722 image/jpeg 2595093 2025-08-22T06:51:22.099731 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia