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The History of Chimney Sweeps
It was understood even in
the Georgian period of our history that chimneys had to be
brush cleaned. Way back to the 17th century the Master Sweep
of the day would employ small boys to climb and scramble up
chimneys. The task for these climbing boys was to brush
clean the inside of the flue with small hand-held brushes.
They also used metal scrapers to remove the harder tar
deposits left by wood or log fire smoke.
The boys were apprentices and were bound to the trade as
young as seven years old. A Master was paid a fee to clothe,
keep and teach the child his trade. Sweeps' Boys were
usually parish children or orphans, though others were sold
into the trade by their families. Some grew up to be
Journeymen (assistants to the Master), the remainder were
put out to various trades to try to learn a new occupation.
In London, there was a London Society of Master Sweeps with
its own set of rules, one of which included that boys were
not required to work on Sundays but had to attend Sunday
School to study, learn and read the Bible.
However, conditions for the
boys were harsh and often cruel. They slept in cellars on
bags of soot and were seldom washed. Years of accumulated
soot and grime often produced cancer of the testicles. It
was a dangerous and filthy job for the boys to undertake,
especially without the protection of safety clothing and
respirators. Sadly there are recorded instances where these
Climbing Boys choked and suffocated to death by dust
inhalation whilst attempting to clean chimneys. Casualties
were also frequent as boys became stuck in narrow flues or
fell from climbing rotten chimney stacks.
It took many years and campaigns before Acts of Parliament
finally approved by the House of Lords outlawed the use of
Climbing Boys. In 1864 Lord Shaftesbury brought in the "Act
for the Regulation of Chimney Sweepers" which established a
penalty of £10.00 for offenders.
 In
the early part of the 18th century various types of chimney
cleaning methods were being developed. An engineer from
Bristol, Mr. Joseph Glass, is widely recognized as the
inventor of chimney cleaning equipment, which has become
universal even to this day. This was the design and
introduction of canes and brushes, which could be pushed and
propelled up from the fireplace into the chimney above.
Early canes were made of malacca and imported from the East
Indies. Brushes were made of whale bones, no nylon or
polypropylene.
The other method of
cleaning flues that was developed originally came from the
Continent - Europe. This was the ball, brush and rope system
which was lowered down from the top of the chimney. The
weight of the lead or iron ball pulls the brush down, thus
cleaning the chimney. This procedure is still used widely in
Scotland even today. This is because of the historical
contacts Scotland had with Europe. With the Industrial
Revolution and ever greater demand for coal production,
chimney sweeps grew in numbers. In Victorian London, there
were over 1,000 chimney sweeps serving the area.
Scotland had with Europe. With the Industrial Revolution and
ever greater demand for coal production, chimney sweeps grew
in numbers. In Victorian London, there were over 1,000
chimney sweeps serving the area.
The continued expansion of
coal as the main fuel for domestic heating ensured that the
sweeping trade flourished. This was right up to the early
1960s when gas began to be installed and replace coal as a
source of domestic heating. The switch to gas continued in
the seventies and many of the old established family sweeps
retired or gave up the business. Until this period, sweeps
had traditionally cleaned only coal, wood and oil chimneys.
Public awareness of the need for clean, safe and clear
chimneys was almost non-existent. Carbon monoxide poisonings
from blocked chimneys began to be noticed.
Above text copyright
Martin Glynn. Used without permission.
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