What did the chimney sweeps Act 1834 do?
The Chimney Sweeps Act 1834 was enacted in an attempt to protect the children employed by the ‘sweeping’ masters from cruel exploitation. The act forbade the apprenticing of any boy under the age of 10 years and the employment of children under 14 in chimney sweeping unless they were apprenticed or on trial.
Can a 21 year old sweep a chimney?
The 1840 Act prohibited any person under 21 being compelled or knowingly allowed to ascend or descend a chimney or flue for sweeping, cleaning or coring. This was widely ignored by the Master Sweeps and the homeowners.
When did chimney sweepers end in the UK?
In London, sweeps would spend all day moving from one roof to the next of the row houses. Finally, in 1864, Parliament passed the “Act for the Regulation of Chimney Sweepers” which ended the use of young boys to clean the chimneys.
Why was chimney cleaning so dangerous?
Cleaning the inside of the soot-filled chimney flues was a difficult and dangerous job because of the narrow chimney flues and the amount of soot the sweepers were exposed to. For this reason, the job was left to poor orphan boys brought in by the chimney master or children sold by their parents into the trade.
When did the chimney sweeps stop cleaning?
What is a chimney sweep?
What is the most famous poem about chimney sweeps?
Why was cleaning the inside of the chimney soot filled?
Why are chimney sweeps important?
What happens if you leave a coal fireplace untreated?
How long has the chimney sweep been around?
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When did they stop chimney sweeps?
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. Furthermore, no child was to be actually engaged in cleaning chimneys under the age of 14.
What happened to the 3 year old chimney sweep?
In February of 1875, his master, William Wyer, sent him into the Fulbourn Hospital chimneys, where he got stuck. A wall was pulled down in a desperate attempt to rescue him, but he died a short while after the rescue.
When was chimney sweeping popular?
The practice of chimney sweeping first began in the United Kingdom (UK) around the 1500s, but it really took off in the mid-1700s. Here's why: Dawn of the industrial revolution in the UK. Coal (used in fireplaces at the time) was growing in production, popularity, and demand.
Do chimney sweeps still exist?
Even if you use one after every time you use your fireplace, you will still need to hire a chimney sweep. Professionals can clear out all stages of creosote, including the hard to remove stages two and three creosote. If you don't clear out the loose creosote, you can put yourself at risk of chimney fires.
When were kids used as chimney sweeps?
By the eighteenth century the use of child chimney sweeps was commonplace, however the use of the chimney in Britain dates back much further. As far back as 1200 the construction of the chimney began to replace the previous reliance on an open fire.
What age did chimney sweeps have to be after the chimney sweepers Act 1875?
The 1864 Act allowed 10 year olds to be employed, but no one under 16 was to be present when chimneys were being swept. The 1875 Act required all chimney sweepers to obtain a certificate of authorisation from the local chief officer of police.
How are chimneys cleaned nowadays?
Chimney sweeps use a heavy metal bristled brush to clean your chimney. These tools are long rods, with the bristles located at the very tip. Professional chimney sweeps will also be outfitted in gloves, goggles, and masks to protect themselves from the soot and ash.
How much did child chimney sweeps get paid?
3-4 poundsFrom 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.
Do chimney sweeps still use brushes?
Traditional sweeping uses nylon brushes which can miss built up areas of soot and creosote which can be more stubborn to remove. Power sweeping over the years is becoming more popular with professional chimney sweeps Worldwide.
What is the difference between chimney sweeping and chimney cleaning?
So, a fireplace flue cleaning and a chimney sweeping refer to the same process. During the service, the technician generally uses a stiff-bristled brush or other chimney cleaning system to brush the inside of the flue to remove creosote buildup from its walls.
Were children used to clean chimneys?
Master Sweeps would buy young children from orphanages and take in young homeless children from the streets. These were between the ages of 5 and 10, although most were under the age of seven, and some were even as young as four. These boys were used to climb up chimneys to clean out deposits of soot.
Do modern chimneys need sweeping?
Yes. Same as a wood-burning setup, gas fireplace chimneys should be inspected and cleaned once a year. It's not so much the creosote to worry about as a bird's nest might need to be removed.
What happens if you don't sweep your chimney?
If you don't clean your chimney regularly, soot will accumulate around the flue causing an inability to draw smoke upwards. The smoke will then be directed to your room leaving black soot on the walls, furniture, and carpeting. It causes permanent staining around the chimney in some cases.
Are creosote sweeping logs toxic?
Are creosote sweeping logs toxic. Yes, CSLs contain toxic chemicals. It's essential to follow the manufacturer's directions. Due to their toxicity, your damper will need to remain open until the fumes have been expelled.
Did chimney sweeps wear clothes?
They are said to have most often gotten their clothing as cast-offs from funeral directors. The outfit was always a very practical black in color, and gave an air of distinction to a dirty, though necessary, job. Chimney sweeps often served double duty as the town's "nightman", whose job it was to clean out the privy.
Did chimney sweeps wear top hats?
The Tails and Top Hat One of the more iconic features of the chimney sweep is the traditional top hat and tails, still worn by many sweeps in the field today.
When was child labor banned in England?
The Factory Act of 1833 Among its provisions was a prohibition on employing children younger than nine, limiting the working hours of children aged 9-13 from working more than nine hours a day and limiting children aged 13-18 to a maximum of 12, and prohibited nighttime work for all age groups.
How did old chimneys keep rain out?
The most important part of a chimney that keeps rain out is the chimney cap. Chimney caps are a cover for the top of the chimney that usually has a slight slant. This slant allows rain to slide away from the chimney.
How long did child chimney sweeps live?
Children who worked as sweeps rarely lived past middle age. Child chimney sweeps were required to crawl through chimneys which were only about 18 inches wide.
What diseases did chimney sweeps get?
Pott found an association between exposure to soot and a high incidence of scrotal skin cancer in chimney sweeps. This cancer is now known as Pott's or chimney sweep cancer.
What was it like to be a child chimney sweep?
The children often became stunted in their growth and disfigured because of the unnatural position they were frequently in before their bones had fully developed. Their knees and ankle joints were affected most often. The children's lungs would become diseased, and their eyelids were often sore and inflamed.
Why were kids used as chimney sweeps?
This practice of sending small boys up and down chimneys in order to ensure that they were free of harmful creosote deposits was the norm in England for approximately 200 years. The use of child chimney sweeps became widespread after the Great Fire of London, which occurred in September of 1666.
What did Victorian children do in factories?
Children as young as seven years old could be found working fourteen hours a day in the region's mills. Being small and nimble, they were given dangerous jobs such as climbing underneath moving machinery to remove any cotton pieces that had fallen below - this role was called being a 'scavenger'.
What was the job title of the boys who used to go into chimneys to clean them?
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.
When did the chimney sweeps stop cleaning?
In London, sweeps would spend all day moving from one roof to the next of the row houses. Finally, in 1864 , Parliament passed the “Act for the Regulation of Chimney Sweepers” which ended the use of young boys to clean the chimneys.
What is a chimney sweep?
Chimney sweeps now do more than simply clean a chimney; they diagnose and service problems, repair all types of chimneys and install fireplaces and hearths. Through it all, the chimney sweep remains an important profession that will continue to grow and bring good health and good hearth to every home they service.
What is the most famous poem about chimney sweeps?
One of the most famous literary works about Chimney Sweeps is William Blake’s poem, “ The Chimney Sweeper .”. The chimney sweep today has come a long way from sending children armed with brushes up the chimney flues. Professional chimney sweeps are educated in the codes and science behind chimneys and fireplaces.
Why was cleaning the inside of the chimney soot filled?
Cleaning the inside of the soot-filled chimney flues was a difficult and dangerous job because of the narrow chimney flues and the amount of soot the sweepers were exposed to. For this reason, the job was left to poor orphan boys brought in by the chimney master or children sold by their parents into the trade.
Why are chimney sweeps important?
At this time, chimney sweeps became known for bringing clean and fresh air back to the home and they became associated with good hearth and good health. Many times in literature, movies and artwork child sweeps were portrayed as having fun and the cheerful young apprentices of accomplished older sweeps.
What happens if you leave a coal fireplace untreated?
If the fireplace was left uncared for, the coal residue would cause the chimney to back up and pollute the home with harmful fumes.
How long has the chimney sweep been around?
A History of Chimney Sweeping. The chimney sweep has been around for hundreds of years and still today is a necessary and important profession. The early Romans first made the switch from a single fire in the center of a room to an isolated fireplace to heat buildings and cook indoors, but it was not until 16th century England that the trend ...
What was the purpose of the chimney sweeps act?
The Chimney Sweepers Act 1875 was a British Act of Parliament that superseded the Chimney Sweepers and Chimneys Regulation Act 1840 passed to try to stop child labour. The Bills proposed by Lord Shaftesbury, triggered by the death of twelve-year-old George Brewster whose master had caused him to climb and clean the chimney at Fulbourn Hospital .
What was the 1840 Act?
The 1840 Act prohibited any person under 21 being compelled or knowingly allowed to ascend or descend a chimney or flue for sweeping, cleaning or coring. This Act ensured all chimney-sweeps would be registered with the police, and that official supervision of their work would take place.
When did the chimney sweeps act start?
Commencement. 31 December 1875. The Chimney Sweepers Act 1875 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that superseded the Chimney Sweepers and Chimneys Regulation Act 1840 passed to try to stop child labour.
What was the purpose of the Chimney Sweepers Regulation Act 1864?
The Chimney Sweepers Regulation Act 1864 was a British Act of Parliament that amended the Chimney Sweepers and Chimneys Regulation Act 1840 passed to try to stop child labour.
What was the 1840 Act?
The 1840 Act prohibited any person under 21 being compelled or knowingly allowed to ascend or descend a chimney or flue for sweeping, cleaning or coring. This was widely ignored by the Master Sweeps and the homeowners. This Act proposed stiff fines and imprisonment for non-compliant master sweeps. It gave the police power to arrest sweeps thought to be breaking the law, and gave Board of Health Inspectors the authority to examine new or remodelled chimneys.
Who proposed the chimney sweeps bill?
The Bill was proposed by Lord Shaftesbury . The 1840 Act prohibited any person under 21 being compelled or knowingly allowed to ascend or descend a chimney or flue for sweeping, ...
What is a chimney sweep?
A chimney sweep is a person who clears ash and soot from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combustion. Chimneys may be straight or contain many changes of direction. During normal operation, a layer ...
Why were chimneys narrow?
The flues were made narrow to create a better draught , 14in by 9in being a common standard. Buckingham Palace had one flue with 15 angles, with the flue narrowing to 9in by 9in. Chimney sweeping was one of the more difficult, hazardous, and low-paying occupations of the era, and consequently has been derided in verse, ballad and pantomime.
Why do chimney sweeps have to be done from the bottom?
Most sweeps are done from the bottom of the chimney, rather than the top, to prevent the dispersion of dust and debris and because it is safer for the chimney sweep to do the sweeping from this position. Inspection may be done from the bottom or top, or both if accessible.
How big was a chimney?
The common flue was designed to be one and a half bricks long by one brick wide, though they often narrowed to one brick square, that is 9 inches (230 mm) by 9 inches (230 mm) or less. Often the chimney would still be hot from the fire, and occasionally it would actually be on fire. Careless climbing boys could get stuck with their knees jammed against their chins. The harder they struggled the tighter they became wedged. They could remain in this position for many hours until they were pushed out from below or pulled out with a rope. If their struggling caused a fall of soot they would suffocate. Dead or alive the boy had to be removed and this would be done by removing bricks from the side of the chimney. If the chimney was particularly narrow the boys would be told to "buff it", that is to do it naked; otherwise they just wore trousers, and a shirt made from thick rough cotton cloth.
How big was the chimney before the Great Fire?
The new chimneys were often angular and narrow, and the usual dimension of the flue in domestic properties was 9 inches (23 cm) by 14 inches (36 cm).
What did the master sweep do to dislodge soot?
The master sweep was unable to climb into such small spaces himself and employed climbing boys to go up the chimneys to dislodge the soot. The boys often 'buffed it', that is, climbed in the nude, propelling themselves by their knees and elbows which were scraped raw.
Where did the chimney sweeps live?
A master chimney sweep (right) and his apprentice boy, known as a Spazzacamino, in Italy at the end of the 19th century. With the increased urban population that came with the age of industrialisation, the number of houses with chimneys grew apace and the occupation of chimney sweep became much sought-after.
What was the first occupational link between chimney sweeps and soot?
In 1765 he was elected Master of the Company of Surgeons, the forerunner of the Royal College of Surgeons. It was in 1775 that Pott found an association between exposure to soot and a high incidence of chimney sweeps' carcinoma, a scrotal cancer (later found to be squamous cell carcinoma) in chimney sweeps. This was the first occupational link ...
What is soot wart?
Treatment. Surgical removal. Chimney sweep's cancer, also called soot wart, is a squamous cell carcinoma of the skin of the scrotum.
What is chimney sweeps carcinoma?
Pathogenesis. Chimney sweeps' carcinoma is a squamous cell carcinoma of the skin of the scrotum. Warts caused by the irritation from soot particles, if not excised, developed into a scrotal cancer. This then invaded the dartos, enlarged the testicle, and proceeded up the spermatic cord into the abdomen where it proved fatal.
What was the cause of scrotal cancer?
It was proposed by W.G. Spencer in 1890 that sweat running down their bodies had caused soot to accumulate in the rugae of the inferior surfaces of the scrotum, with the resulting chronic irritation causing scrotal cancer, but this was shown to be an incorrect artifact of the method used to stain his microscope slides.
How old are chimney sweeps when they get cancer?
The median age of onset of symptoms in one review was 37.7 years, although boys as young as 8 years old were found to have the disease.
What are the four bases of DNA?
DNA consists of sequences of four bases – guanine, adenine, cytosine, and thymine – bound to a deoxyribonucleic backbone, forming the four deoxyribonucleosides: deoxyguanosine etc. Benzo (α)pyrene interacts with deoxyguanosine of the DNA, damaging it and potentially starting the processes that can lead to cancer.
What is the name of the cancer that is on the skin of the scrotum?
Drawn by Horace Benge Dobell, physician, whilst a student at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School. Chimney sweep's cancer , also called soot wart, is a squamous cell carcinoma of the skin of the scrotum.
What was the first industrial cancer?
He described it as chimney sweeps carcinoma, commonly referred to as soot wart, viscously attacking the scrotum and affecting boys as they reached their teenage years.
What is a chimney sweep?
by Jessica Brain. 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. Those employed were often orphans or from impoverished backgrounds, sold into the job by their parents.
What did the Master Sweep do?
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.
Why do boys rub their eyes?
Another common ailment was the effect of the soot on the eyes often leading to intense and painful inflammation made all the worst by the boys rubbing their eyes for relief. Sadly in some cases it would eventually lead to loss of sight.
How old do you have to be to sweep a chimney?
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.
How wide is a standard flue?
Whilst there were of course variations between buildings, a standard flue would narrow to around 9 by 9 inches.
When was the chimney used in Britain?
By the eighteenth century the use of child chimney sweeps was commonplace, however the use of the chimney in Britain dates back much further. As far back as 1200 the construction of the chimney began to replace the previous reliance on an open fire.
How was the cleaning done?
The child would climb the chimney while holding a brush over his or her head. Ramming their backs against the walls of the inside of the chimney, the child would ‘walk’ the chimney. The brush would scrape away the soot from the walls of the chimney which would fall down onto the child and then to the bottom of the fireplace. The child would then climb back down the chimney, collect the soot, and hand it over to the master sweep. He could then sell the soot and make yet more money.
Who were the children who were employed as sweeps?
They could come from two sources, some, small boys sometimes girls usually 6 years of age but they could have been younger, came from the poorest of households. Others came from the work houses where it was the duty of the Poor Law Guardians to apprentice as many children as possible and they paid the master sweep to take on the children as apprentices.
What is the story of the water babies?
Charles Kingsley in his 1862 novel, The Water Babies, tells us a story about the young chimney sweep Tom who escapes the horror of his work as a chimney sweep by becoming a water baby. Kingsley wrote it out of a sense of moral outrage about the plight of the child chimney sweeps.
What is the water baby?
Charles Kingsley in his 1862 novel, The Water Babies, tells us a story about the young chimney sweep Tom who escapes the horror of his work as a chimney sweep by becoming a water baby. Kingsley wrote it out of a sense of moral outrage about the plight of the child chimney sweeps. It had a huge impact on its readers and helped to reform legislation that would finally take care of these abused children.
Why was the chimney sweeps act enacted?
The Chimney Sweeps Act 1834 was enacted in an attempt to protect the children employed by the ‘sweeping’ masters from cruel exploitation. The act forbade the apprenticing of any boy under the age of 10 years and the employment of children under 14 in chimney sweeping unless they were apprenticed or on trial.
Why do people bring their knees up against the chimney?
If they brought their knees up too far towards their chest , they could become jammed. To avoid asphyxiation the chimney needed to cleaned quickly.
What did the Master Sweep do?
The master sweep would approach poverty stricken parents and effectively buy the children from them to work for him. As his property they did what he wanted and were in fact treated as slaves.
When did the chimney sweeps stop cleaning?
In London, sweeps would spend all day moving from one roof to the next of the row houses. Finally, in 1864 , Parliament passed the “Act for the Regulation of Chimney Sweepers” which ended the use of young boys to clean the chimneys.
What is a chimney sweep?
Chimney sweeps now do more than simply clean a chimney; they diagnose and service problems, repair all types of chimneys and install fireplaces and hearths. Through it all, the chimney sweep remains an important profession that will continue to grow and bring good health and good hearth to every home they service.
What is the most famous poem about chimney sweeps?
One of the most famous literary works about Chimney Sweeps is William Blake’s poem, “ The Chimney Sweeper .”. The chimney sweep today has come a long way from sending children armed with brushes up the chimney flues. Professional chimney sweeps are educated in the codes and science behind chimneys and fireplaces.
Why was cleaning the inside of the chimney soot filled?
Cleaning the inside of the soot-filled chimney flues was a difficult and dangerous job because of the narrow chimney flues and the amount of soot the sweepers were exposed to. For this reason, the job was left to poor orphan boys brought in by the chimney master or children sold by their parents into the trade.
Why are chimney sweeps important?
At this time, chimney sweeps became known for bringing clean and fresh air back to the home and they became associated with good hearth and good health. Many times in literature, movies and artwork child sweeps were portrayed as having fun and the cheerful young apprentices of accomplished older sweeps.
What happens if you leave a coal fireplace untreated?
If the fireplace was left uncared for, the coal residue would cause the chimney to back up and pollute the home with harmful fumes.
How long has the chimney sweep been around?
A History of Chimney Sweeping. The chimney sweep has been around for hundreds of years and still today is a necessary and important profession. The early Romans first made the switch from a single fire in the center of a room to an isolated fireplace to heat buildings and cook indoors, but it was not until 16th century England that the trend ...
