Table of Contents
Did children work as chimney sweeps?
The small boys used as chimney sweeps were typically between 5 and 10 years of age, and some were as young as 4 years old. They clambered up chimneys with brushing and scraping tools that knocked the creosote and soot from the chimney lining.
What age did children start chimney sweeping?
The ideal age for a chimney sweep to begin working was said to be 6 years old, but sometimes they were used beginning at age 4. The child would shimmy up the flue using his back, elbows, and knees. He would use a brush overhead to knock soot loose; the soot would fall down over him.
What age did chimney sweeps have to be after the chimney Sweepers Act 1875?
No child below the age of 14 was to actually be engaged in cleaning chimneys. In 1840, a revised Chimney Sweeps Act raised the minimum age of apprenticeship to 16.
When did children stop going up chimneys UK?
Finding a solution. In the early 1830s, as Parliament became more preoccupied generally with the exploitation of child labour, the Chimney Sweeps Act was passed in 1834 outlawing the apprenticing of any child below the age of ten.
Why did chimney sweeps wear top hats?
This story says that beginning in the 17th century, funeral directors would take pity on these poor children being forced to crawl up chimneys. To help raise both their status and their morale, they gave them the extra top hats that would have otherwise been disposed of.
How much does a chimney sweep cost 2019 UK?
The most recent figures (Oct 2019) state that chimney cleaning costs range from £50-80 throughout most parts of the UK, but this can rise to £100 or more in London. That, however, is for a general sweep of the flue. Removing any blockages (fallen bricks, birds’ nests, etc.) may cost a little more.
How much money did a chimney sweep make?
From 1773, master chimney sweeps regularly kept anywhere from 2 to 20 children, depending on how many they could use for their business. For each child, the master sweep was paid 3-4 pounds by the government when the apprenticeship agreement was signed.
When did they stop using children as chimney sweeps?
Child Chimney Sweeps: Dark Chapter in Sweep History. In September of 1875, a bill was pushed through which put a stop to the practice of using children as chimney sweeps. Joseph Glass, an engineer from Bristol, England, invented the original brushes and rods used to clean chimneys; the design is still used today.
Who was the last child to die in a chimney?
George Brewster was the last child to die in a chimney. Unfortunately, The United States of America still used children as chimney sweeps for some time after it was outlawed in England, but that’s a different though similar story.
What kind of diseases did chimney sweeps get?
The children’s lungs would become diseased, and their eyelids were often sore and inflamed. The first recorded form of industrial cancer was unique to chimney sweeps. The boys would often develop Chimney Sweep Cancer, which was cancer of the scrotum which usually struck the boys in their adolescence.