‘Mudlarks’ scavenged through the mud to find valuables
Being poor in the first part of the 20th century was incredibly rough. There were not many options for those who lived in extreme poverty. One of the few things people did to survive was to roam through the muddy waters in search of valuable items to resell for a few coins.
Sadly, this was an occupation that was mainly dominated by very poor kids. And being a “mudlark” was not a good option for them because a larger portion of society viewed them as almost criminals and the job was greatly frowned upon. In fact, they were even persecuted by the police.