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perfect! Cheers On 6 Jun 2008, at 12:10, Peter Freshwater wrote: > Hi Angela > > Crossing-sweepers were essential in Dickens' London to enable > pedestrians to cross the roads dry and relatively free of mud and > filth. The best-known crossing sweeper in Dickens's works is Jo in > Bleak House, who is one of the key witnesses (although discounted at > the time) at the inquest on Captain Nemo. I cannot help identify "the > black man that swept the crossing" but the job is one that Black > people might have done. Of course, he might have been black from the > mud on the road with which he spent his working life in close contact, > just as sweeps and their boys were black from soot. > > Does this help at all? > > Peter > > Peter B Freshwater MA MCLIP FSAScot > 43 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh EH12 5QQ, Scotland > Telephone 0044 (0)131 337 7049 > [log in to unmask] > > > > Many thanks Angela Allison Coventry, UK