It appears that the women in Ezra Riley's family were Milk Sellers and/or Milk Dealers in Manchester. You may not know this, we we are uncertain as to the parentage of Ezra. A trade directory lists a Milk Seller named Ann Riley living at 7 George Leigh Street and during the 1841 Census there is an Ann Ryley living at this address but her occupation is listed as Shopkeeper. If I had to guess, I think Ann was probably Ezra's mother.
A milk-dealer would probably buy the milk wholesale, then sell it direct to the consumer, or to shopkeepers. Ann may have very well sold milk from their home since the census lists her as a shopkeeper. There were other women in the household who may have also sold milk directly to the consumers.
Until the advent of railways, cows were kept in the city. It was very common to find people having caught TB from drinking raw milk.
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