1851. Mayhew, London Labour and London Poor, I., p. 297. There is a
class of ballads, which may with perfect propriety be called street
ballads, as they are written by street authors for street singing
(or chaunting) and street sale.
1883. Daily Telegraph, Feb. 8, p. 3, col. 1. ‘The bitterest sort of
weather is their [cadgers’] weather, and it doesn’t matter if it’s
house-to-house work or chanting, or mud-plunging, it’s cold work.’
Chapel or Chapel of Ease, subs. (common).—A water-closet. For synonyms,
see Bury a Quaker and Mrs. Jones.
Chapel of Little Ease, subs. phr. (thieves’)—The police station or
cells.