The much narrower and compact design that resulted mean adult sweeps were far too large to fit into such confined spaces. It was at this point that many buildings were constructed with labyrinths of interconnected flues as a way of navigating the extra cost. Over the coming centuries, the use of different natural resources required further adaptations as the transition from wood to coal meant that the chimney was now thick with soot and it became an increasingly prominent feature of every building.īy the turn of the seventeenth century, new legislation brought in a hearth tax, measured by the amount of chimneys in a building. As far back as 1200 the construction of the chimney began to replace the previous reliance on an open fire. After working for seven years they could go on to become a journeyman sweep and eventually perhaps become a master sweep themselves.īy the eighteenth century the use of child chimney sweeps was commonplace, however the use of the chimney in Britain dates back much further. The only option available to the child apprentice was to eventually climb through the ranks. As such, the Poor Law guardians were required to make sure as many children from the workhouses as possible would be forced into apprenticeships whilst the master sweep taught them on the job, gave a set of clothes and had each child cleaned once a week. The master sweep meanwhile would often be paid by the local parish to take on these waifs and strays and teach them the trade. Very often those that had been sold by their parents had even signed papers securing the master sweeps status as their legal guardians, meaning these young children were tied to their master and their profession until adulthood with no route to escape. With climbing boys, and sometimes girls too, reliant on the so-called master sweep for employment, clothing and food, the young children were referred to as a kind of apprentice, learning the craft as it were whilst the adult sweep had complete control over their lives. With some as young as four or five perhaps not quite strong enough, six years of age was often the time considered most appropriate to enter the profession. So your chimneys I sweep and in soot I sleep”įrom “The Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake, from his work “Songs of Innocence and of Experience”, 1795Ĭhildren were used for chimney sweeping due to their diminutive size that enabled them to fit into the very narrow and enclosed spaces that required cleaning inaccessible to an adult. In the late 1780’s, the famous poet William Blake published the first part of his poem in the ‘Songs of Innocence’ entitled, “The Chimney Sweep”, perfectly encapsulating the sad tale of child labour replicated across the country in the age when Britain rose in strength as an industrial powerhouse.Īnd my father sold me while yet my tongue, With young boys employed to work in extremely dangerous conditions, some as young as three, the practise was remarkably widespread and socially acceptable for quite some time. Those employed were often orphans or from impoverished backgrounds, sold into the job by their parents. The chimney sweep, or climbing boys as they were often called, was a harsh profession to be in and most likely one that would severely cut your life short.
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