Chimney sweeping developed into an indispensable profession due to two inventions, the chimney and the use of wood and coal as a heating source. The Romans were the first to realise that abiding in a warm, toasty home was better than a cold one. They structured the chimney and flue as a means of funneling off the smoke that resulted from log fires from the roof.
Nonetheless, homes seldom adopted this method of heating, and were still heated by a central wood fire burning on hearthstones. These were usually placed in the center of a room or against a wall.
The smoke fire easily wafted through open windows, doors, or via openings in the roof. However, it was in the 16th century, mainly in medieval England, when newer residences were built or older homes were adapted to supply increased comfort that fireplaces and chimneys came to prominence.
Though the beginnings of chimney sweeping can be traced to the medieval era, chimney sweeping actually came about as a fully-established line of work in England during the 17th and 18th centuries. As the concept of using a fireplace and chimney for warmth caught on, the demand increased and more fireplaces were added to homes to heat each room. However, even though fireplaces and chimneys were beneficial, there was a segment of the population that suffered dearly for this convenience.
THE CHIMNEY SWEEP BOYS
Even during the Georgian period, it was understood that chimneys required sweeping in order to function properly. A “Master Sweep” would employ small boys and girls to climb up within the flues to clean them. Scrapers made from metal were utilised to eliminate stubborn tar deposited by wood smoke. These young boys were very much in demand, some as young as seven years old! A fee was paid to the Master Sweep, which was used to clothe, feed, and train the young children in the trade.
However, London established the “London Society of Master Sweeps” incorporating their own rules, which stated that it was not compulsory for boys to work on Sundays, but they should go to Sunday School for Bible study and to learn to read and write. Nonetheless, the children’s living conditions were appalling, even cruel. For example, some children were made to sleep in the basement on bags of soot. Unfortunately, washing facilities were rare and diseases, as a result of the soot, like cancer of the testicles were not uncommon. No safety clothing or regulations were designed to protect these boys. In fact, there are cases where children choked and suffocated to death due to dust inhalation.
The children frequently became stuck in the narrower flues or became off balanced and fell to their deaths. It was not until 1864; following years of campaigning, that the Act of Parliament was finally accepted by the House of Lords, to forbid the use of children for chimney work. Lord Shaftesbury’s Act for the Regulation of Chimney-Sweepers ordained a penalty of £10 for those who broke the law. During this era, that amount of money was a considerable sum!
CHIMNEY SWEEPING ADVANCES
During the beginning of the 18th century, numerous types of methods to clean chimneys were invented. An engineer from Bristol by the name of Joseph Glass is seen as the architect of the types of chimney cleaning equipment still used today. His invention incorporated a system of canes and brushes that were designed to push-up into a chimney by using the fireplace as a platform. The first canes were constructed from Malacca an East Indies timber, while brushes were made from whalebones.
Another chimney sweep invention used a ball, brush, and rope method, which came from Europe. The weight of an iron ball or lead dragged the brush down while cleaning the flue simultaneously. In fact, this method is still popular in Scotland today.
With the start of the Industrial Revolution, the demand for coal production increased and the chimney sweep profession flourished. In Victorian London, more than 1,000 Sweeps serviced the city. The high demand for coal as a primary source of fuel for home heating kept the trade thriving.
At the beginning of the 1960s, gas became the primary heating choice and by the 1970s, most of the old-established family sweeps went by the wayside. Besides the conventional brushes and rods, modern day chimney sweeps instill a number of advanced tools and techniques for cleaning, repair, and inspection. From scanners and video-cameras, to computer designed diagnostic-electronics, to brush and vacuum systems, modern chimney sweeping has benefited from the innovation of high-tech equipment to enable better service, dependability, and quality for customers.
DID YOU KNOW?
- That geese were frequently used as tools for chimney cleaning in addition to children. The expression is “The blacker the goose the cleaner the flue.” Though this method would never be accepted today, the sweep tied the legs of the goose together and tossed it down the chimney. The flapping wings of the bird would knock the soot down cleaning the chimney in the process.
- It is considered good luck for one to see a chimney sweep on their wedding day, and to shake hands or be kissed by one is double the luck!
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