Hawkers and pedlars, persons who carry their goods from place to place for sale. In 1810 (50 Geo. 3, c. 41), imposed a licence duty on them and made various provisions in regard to their trade. After many amending Acts (see, e.g., 52 Geo. 3, c. 108, 26 & 27 Vict. c. 18, Sched. B, 22 & 23 Vict. c. 36) the (English) Hawkers Act, 1888 (51 & 52 Vict. c. 33), has regulated the business of hawkers, defining, for the purposes of the Act, a hawker as a person who travels about selling or exposing samples with a horse or other beast bearing or drawing burden, the Pedlars Act, 1871 (34 & 35 Vict. c. 96), for regulating the business of peddlers, having already defined a peddler for the purposes of that Act as a person traveling about selling or procuring orders for goods or selling his skill in handicraft, without a horse, etc. see Woolwich Local Board v. Gardiner, (1895) 2 QB 497.
A hawker's licence costs 2l. a year, and except by way of renewal of a licence for the year immediately preceding, is grantable by the Inland Revenue on the production of a certificate of good character from a clergyman and two householders of the
parish of residence, or a justice of the peace or a
district superintendent or inspector of police. There are exemptions for the sale of fish, fruit, victuals, or coal, and for sales at markets or fairs.
A pedlar's certificate costs 5s. a year, and is grantable by the chief officer of police of the district in which the applicant has resided for a month before the application on being satisfied that the applicant is above seventeen, is of good character, and in good faith intends to carry on the business of a pedlar. There are exemptions for commercial travelers, for the sale of fish, fruit, or victuals, and for sales at markets or fairs.