A tosher is someone who
scavenges in the
sewers, a sewer-hunter, especially in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
during the
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
. The word tosher was also used to describe the thieves who stripped valuable
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
from the hulls of ships moored along the
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
. The related slang term "tosh" referred to valuables thus collected. Both "tosher" and "tosh" are of unknown origin.
In fiction
A tosher in Victorian London is the profession of the title character in ''
Dodger'', a 2012 novel by
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humourist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. He is best known for his ''Discworld'' series of 41 novels.
Pratchett's first nov ...
.
[Doubleday. ]
The character Murky John is a Tosher in ''
Year of the Rabbit
The rabbit ( 兔) is the fourth in the twelve-year cycle of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Rabbit is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 卯.
In the Vietnamese zodiac and t ...
'' Series 1 Episode 2.
See also
*
*
*, someone who scavenges in river mud.
*
References
External links
{{wiktionary, tosher
Toshers in fiction : "Joe Rat", a novel by Mark Barratt"Dodger" a novel by Terry Pratchett
Obsolete occupations
Waste collection
Sewerage