An Interesting Piece of Pearl

They still wear the pearl button-decorated clothing, and they sing traditional songs and tell traditional Pearlie stories and functions - both internal and fundraising. The Pear lies manage to make every event a spectacle, and a Pearly funeral is quite a sight to see the Pear lies still exist today, and are each organization associated with a different church or charity. It is considered a mid-Victorian time - a midway point between the Victorian Era and the time of unrest and creativity known as the Fin de Siècle - prior to the fashionable Edwardian period.

Traditionally, times of harmony produce practices of whimsy, and that is just the case with Pear lies - London's pearl-bedecked philanthropists and carousers. More than 400 Pear lies made up his funeral procession, and thousands of Londoners came out to pay their respects for a man who raised enormous amounts of money for charity, yet died without a penny to his name. In fact, 1880-1914 is considered the "Belle Époque" (Beautiful Era) of Europe, a time of peace and prosperity for the upper classes. This did not happen all at once.

That does not mean that everyone was rich, or that everyone was prosperous, but most accounts say that the time was one of harmony. With their elaborate dress and funny acts and songs, the Pear lies were popular on the streets of London, and made appearances at fundraisers and even walked the streets with collection boxes. In fact, the day he died, which was January 1, 1930 (he was hit by a carriage), he had his collection box in his hand.

The practice came from Costermongers - street vendors who sold costard apples - who wore rows of Mother of Pearl buttons on their outfits and large feathers in their hats to parody the fashions of the upper classes. A young orphan named Henry Croft grew up around these street vendors, who had a society and class system all their own. He admired the Costermonger's way of taking care of each other - each region elected a Costar King to fight for the rights of the working class and to establish goodwill with organizations that could provide healthcare and other services to the poorer people of London.

Having grown up in an orphanage, Henry wanted to champion these Costar Kings and Queens who were doing charitable work in London. All the Costar Kings and Queens started adding to their already elaborate costumes, and they changed their names from Costar Kings and Queens to Pearly Kings and Queens. He worked on an outfit for months, covering it all over with patterns of Pearl Buttons.

Europe, especially England, and most especially London in the 1880's was an interesting place. Henry Croft raised money for the orphanage where he grew up, and spent his entire life raising money for good causes around London. He worked up the nerve to appear on the street in front of all the Costermongers and he was an instant sensation. He studied the Costermonger's witty sayings and little songs, along with the dress, and appeared on the London Street. Pear lies came to wear outfits that were covered in mother-of-pearl buttons.