What did Victorian chimney sweeps do?
A chimney sweep uses brushes and sticks to dislodge and sweep away the soot from the walls of the chimney, and collects the soot in bags for disposal. In the Victorian era the number of houses with chimneys grew apace and so chimney sweeps became more important than ever.
Did Girls Get chimney sweeps in Victorian times?
The climbing boys, and sometimes girls, were technically called chimney sweeps’ apprentices, and were apprenticed to a master sweep, who, being an adult, was too large to fit into a chimney or flue. He would be paid by the parish to teach orphans or paupers the craft.
What was the chimney used for?
The primary function of the chimney is to direct the smoke away from the stove and out of the house. However, this is not the only function of the stove, as it must also: Ensure that enough air is drawn into the stove for the fire to burn clean.
How did Victorian children clean chimneys?
Chimney sweeping was a job children could do better than adults. Small boys (starting at the age of 5 or 6 years) would be sent scrambling up inside the chimney to scrape and brush soot away. They came down covered in soot, and with bleeding elbows and knees.
Did children really clean chimneys?
These boys were used to climb up chimneys to clean out deposits of soot. In 1842 Parliament passed a law prohibiting sweeps from employing children to go up chimneys – but this did not stop them using their own children to do this horrible work.
What was life like for a chimney sweep?
The living conditions of the chimney sweeps offered them no relief. They were usually barely fed and slept in basements, covering themselves with the filthy soot sacks they worked with. The boys rarely bathed and were frequently sickly.
Are chimney sweeps lucky?
The sweep “swept” the king to safety from a runaway carriage. The grateful king invited his rescuer to the upcoming wedding of his daughter and officially declared all chimney sweeps to be lucky. To this day, it’s considered good luck to invite a sweep to your wedding or other special occasion.
How messy is chimney sweeping?
There’s not always soot in chimneys – sometimes there are pieces of chimney lining and brick dust that comes down the chimney. But under most circumstances, there shouldn’t be any mess at all when we sweep your chimney.