Public support was very much on the side of the costermongers. His repertoire specialised in Cockney songs with many titles devoted to the subject of costermongers. Back slang was used as a secret language, a code which only other costermongers understood. The muscular Ricky once cleaned up against three simultaneous Covent Garden costermongers in five minutes. Her bridesmaids were costermongers from Hoxton. London based costermongers had their own dress code. The retail trade was largely serviced by itinerant street sellers or costermongers. Henry Mayhew estimated in the 1840s that 300 costermongers attended the market here. The costermongers of London, England were at their peak in the 19th century. Costermongers also developed their own linguistic forms. Shakespeare and Marlowe mention costermongers in their writings. Technically, costermongers were hawkers since they rarely traded from fixed stalls.