The history of the chimney sweep is a long and colourful one, and in fact it is one of the oldest occupations in the world – chimneys have been in existence for hundreds of years. However, the chimney sweep has only been recognised as a profession in the last 200 years, around the time of the industrial revolution, when chimneys became spacious enough for a man to fit in.
Paul Seignac: Child Chimney Sweep in Snow, 1876
In the 18th century, child chimney sweeps were a common sight. Such children were very small, usually boys between the ages of 4 and 7, and they were badly exploited by their employers. Employers of these young chimney sweeps liked to send children up the chimneys because they were small, yet the youngsters sometimes got stuck up the flues, which were often still hot, and many were killed in this way. In any event, all child chimney sweeps were covered in soot and suffered from the associated effects. They also endured painful sores and scratches on their skin from being confined in a small space.
Most children were employed until they became too big to enter the bottom of the chimney, and this was a godsend for these children. The tragedy is that the plight of the child chimney sweep was largely ignored in the 18th and 19th centuries and their misery continued for many years. William Blake graphically told of the plight of the child chimney sweep in his poem The Chimney Sweeper.
A bill was passed in Parliament in 1788, named ‘The Act for the Better Regulation of Chimney Sweepers and their Apprentices’. This ruled that chimney sweep apprentices must be 8 years or older, but this was never fully enforced, so child exploitation continued for many years after. Finally, in 1875, a law was passed that made it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to work as a sweep – this saw the end of the child sweep, ending the miserable existence of thousands of such children.
The history of the chimney sweep continues today, with the business still thriving in the UK. However, the role of a chimney sweep has changed somewhat, in accordance with the passage of time. With the invention of central heating came a decline in the use of real fires and thus a decline in the need for chimneys – however, many homes today still have a solid fuel fire, and such chimneys need sweeping once or twice a year. Also, modern chimney sweeps will perform an inspection of a chimney before sweeping, to check for structural or safety problems – if there are any such problems, most chimney sweeps are able to put them right.
