Home » History » British Social History » Pity the Chimney Sweeps

Pity the Chimney Sweeps

© Viola Ashford

Chimney sweeps are often pictured as cute and happy little Cockney boys covered in soot. It is only the latter part which is true. Sweeps were often girls and most of them were very far from happy with good reason.

A build-up of soot can block or choke a chimney making it difficult to have a good fire. When the Industrial Revolution occurred in the last part of the eighteenth century coal became a widely used source of fuel and chimneys became widespread. As they were usually very narrow only small people could climb up the chimneys and clean them so the use of children as chimney sweeps arose. There were over 1000 chimney sweeps in Victorian London.

Often these children were orphans or homeless. Sometimes they were even sold by their families. They were apprenticed to Master Sweeps from a very young age. The Master Sweep had the duty of teaching them the trade and feeding, clothing and accommodating them.

There were no safety rules or regulations unfortunately so the Master Sweeps were often very cruel to these poor children who were practically slaves, although there was a requirement that they have Sundays off to go to Sunday school. The children were often poorly fed; were made to sleep on bags of soot in the cellar; and beaten. They were also often unwashed. Masters would often light a fire in the fireplace to make them climb into the chimney more quickly. This is where the expression, 'lighting a fire under you' comes from. Sometimes the chimneys were as narrow as nine feet square and could be sixty feet high.

The children were often severely injured or even died. They could easily choke to death in the chimney or a fall could kill them. Many of them died from cancer of the testicles. The Masters often didn't care because there were always more homeless or orphaned children to exploit.

It is interesting to note that Danish chimney sweeps were required to wear protective clothing and wash regularly well before the British and this reduced the incidence of cancer.

Although in 1840 an act was passed preventing anyone under 21 from climbing chimneys there were few penalties for breaches so this cruelty continued. In 1864, due to Lord Shaftesbury, an act was passed which imposed a ₤10 fine on anyone breaching the rules. As this was a big sum in those days sweeps were now treated more kindly.

It is considered lucky today for a bride to be kissed by a chimney sweep on her wedding day. According to an article about chimney sweeps at The Victorian Fireplace: "The tradition goes back, so it is said, to a chimney sweep who lost his footing and fell from a roof. He was caught on the gutter and hanging by his foot when a young lass, whose hand was intended for another, reached through the window and pulled him in, saving his life. They fell in love and the two were later married. "1.

The copyright of the article Pity the Chimney Sweeps in British Social History is owned by . Permission to republish Pity the Chimney Sweeps in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.