Traditionally, the defining characteristic of all cockney Londoners is that they are ‘born within the sound of the Bow bells’, the bells of the church of St Mary-le-Bow in the City of London. These days, the term ‘cockney’ is used in a more general sense to refer to working-class Londoners from the East End.
One of the most famous aspects of cockney London is the language and the history of migration into the East End has influenced its development. The Jewish presence, for example, is reflected in Yiddish words such as ‘kosher’ (meaning legitimate) and ‘shtum’ (meaning quiet). Other words are thought to have originated in 19th-century coded language used by dock labourers or costermongers.
In the late 19th century, the cockney working-class character was popularised by music hall performers such as Marie Lloyd and Albert Chevalier. They sang songs about their lives such as 'My Old Dutch', and The Coster’s 'Serenade' to audiences across London.
The cockneys’ distinctive dialect and strong cultural identity have led to their appearance in fiction. Strong-willed hard men such as Bill Sykes (from Dickens’ ‘Oliver Twist’), and chirpy women such as Eliza Doolittle (George Bernard Shaw’s 'Pygmalion'), characterise the public image of cockney Londoners.
A key feature of Cockney London, the Pearly Kings and Queens originated amongst the market costermongers. The costermongers decorated their clothes with pearl buttons to differentiate themselves from regular traders. They elected 'kings' to protect their rights from rival traders. By the second half of the 20th century, they had assumed a more symbolic and charitable role, devoting their time to raising funds for good works.
The East End, the heart of cockney London, has changed enormously during the 20th century, thanks to gentrification and multiculturalism. Despite these changes, the long-running popularity of television shows such as East Enders, the high-profile success of Tesco supermarket founder Jack Cohen and celebrities including Ray Winstone, Terence Stamp and Sir Alan Sugar (all born in the East End), ensure that cockney culture continues to be held in high regard.