"Pearly Kings & Queens" London Local Custom Tip by toonsarah

The custom of decorating your clothes with small pearl buttons originates in working class parts of London and those who do so are known as Pearly Kings & Queens. It is generally thought that the original Pearly King was Henry Croft, an orphan street sweeper who collected money to support the orphanage where he had been raised. He had many friends among the "Costermongers" as London Street traders were known, and many of them supported his fundraising. At that time the costermongers used to wear a distinctive outfit, with pearl buttons along the seams of their trousers and on their pockets. Croft went one step further and sewed buttons all over his suit to create the first “pearly suit” to attract attention to himself and to his fund-raising activities. As he got more and more successful in his charity efforts, more people asked for his help, and he in turn enlisted the support of his costermonger friends. The Pearly Kings and Queens were born, with a “Royal” Pearly family for each borough, and the title handed down from one generation to the next.

The Pearlies organised themselves into the London Pearly Kings and Queens Association. Over time this has splintered and there are now several similar groups, including a London Pearly Kings and Queens Society and a Pearly Kings and Queens Guild. Each presumably would claim to be the most authentic! See what you think by visiting their websites:
London Pearly Kings and Queens Association: www.thepearlies.com
London Pearly Kings and Queens Society: www.pearlysociety.co.uk
Pearly Kings and Queens Guild: www.pearlykingsandqueens.com