Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(later use US) to beg, to peddle, to scrounge, esp. as a street-singer; thus griddling n.

1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 47: GRIDDLING, singing in the streets.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor I 248/2: Another woman [...] whose husband had got a month for ‘griddling in the main drag’ (singing in the high street).
1876		Besant & Rice Son of a Vulcan I 267: Cardiff Jack’s never got so low as to be griddling on the main drag — singing I mean, on the high-road.
1886		W. Newton Secrets of Tramp Life Revealed 19: I shall now introduce you to what professional tramps call ‘by griddling’ or singing in the streets, chiefly hymns.
1893		P.H. Emerson Signor Lippo 53: You couldn’t munge, nor gridle, nor nothing.
1895		Belfast Wkly News 21 Dec. 3/2: The griddling fraternity were were represented.
1909		W.H. Davies Beggars 104: Sing – griddle or chant.
1914		E. Pugh Cockney At Home 281: I’m honest enough. Nothin’ criminal about griddlin’. Anybody’s at liberty to sing in the streets, so long as they do it for a livin’.
1933		M. Marshall Tramp-Royal on the Toby 63: Last time I griddles in this bloke’s town the cops pinched me. [Ibid.] 229: ‘But what are you, of all people, Truthy, doing in Mull?’ ‘Oh, griddling and tapping.’.
1937		J. Worby Other Half 161: I’m a busker. I chant in the streets. But the game’s played out now [...] Have you ever done any griddling?
2003		(con. 1932) W. Woodruff Beyond Nab End 32: ‘Griddling’ at street corners was open to anyone with a good voice.