Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a wheelbarrow.

1914		Sport (Adelaide) 21 Feb. 10/4: ‘Baby Elephant’ was seen jogging down the street with a ‘cocksparrow’ fetching up the rear, with a corkscrew and a pint pot.
1969		S.T. Kendall Up the Frog 13: I’ve got to take the cock sparrer up the Dolly Varden fer some rosebuds.

2. a street trader’s barrow.

1932		‘P.P.’ Rhy. Sl.
1935		Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks n.p.: Cock sparrow: Barrow.
1960		J. Franklyn Dict. of Rhy. Sl.
1992		R. Puxley Cockney Rabbit.
2003		(con. 1932) W. Woodruff Beyond Nab End 32: A man could hire a ‘cock sparrow’ and push a barrow selling fruit and vegetables.