How much did a Victorian chimney sweep get paid?
From 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.
How old were Victorian chimney sweeps?
The ideal age for a chimney sweep to begin working was said to be 6 years old, but sometimes they were used beginning at age 4. The child would shimmy up the flue using his back, elbows, and knees.
When did chimney sweeping end?
The “Act for the Regulation of Chimney Sweepers” was finally passed by the English Parliament in 1864, and it put an end to child chimney sweeps in that country.
What did a Victorian chimney sweep do?
A chimney sweep uses brushes and sticks to dislodge and sweep away the soot from the walls of the chimney, and collects the soot in bags for disposal. In the Victorian era the number of houses with chimneys grew apace and so chimney sweeps became more important than ever.
What happened to sweeps who grew too large?
Children who worked as chimney sweeps generally ranged from as young as 4 to about 10 years old, when they grew too big to fit down the tiny chimneys anymore. Two of the biggest fears of a chimney sweep were falling and getting stuck in the chimney – both often led to death.
How many hours did Victorian chimney sweeps work?
Due to a lack of proper ventilation, coal dust was very thick in the air. Considering that Victorian Children would work from 12 to 18 hours a day it is easy to see how respiratory problems could arise.
What did chimney Sweepers do?
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.
What age did chimney sweeps have to be after the chimney sweep 1875?
No child below the age of 14 was to actually be engaged in cleaning chimneys. In 1840, a revised Chimney Sweeps Act raised the minimum age of apprenticeship to 16. As with earlier legislation, this was largely ignored due to the absence of any means of enforcement.
What did a climbing boy do?
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. He would be paid by the parish to teach orphans or paupers the craft.
Why are chimney sweeps lucky?
According to legend, in 1066 a chimney sweep saved the life of King William of Britain. The sweep “swept” the king to safety from a runaway carriage. To this day, it’s considered good luck to invite a sweep to your wedding or other special occasion.
When was chimney sweeping banned?
Finding a solution. 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 …
When were chimney sweepers banned?
What was the role of a chimney sweeper in Victorian Society?
Generally, sweepers were children, mainly boys and not adults. Chimney sweeps are also featured in Victorian literature. Chimney sweeper was considered a good luck omen for the bride on her wedding day. The Victorian society was not a classless society, nor was it free from evils like child labour.
When did chimney sweeps become legal in the UK?
Ultimately in 1875, the British parliament passed an act which said that all chimney sweeps had to be licensed and licenses were only issued to sweeps not using climbing boys. As time passed, the use of chimneys and chimney sweeps declined.
How old do you have to be to be a chimney sweeper?
Act to help Chimney Sweepers in Victorian era. Only in 1840, an act was passed forbidding anyone under the age of 21 from working as chimney sweeps. It was called the Chimney Sweepers and Chimneys Regulation Act 1840.
What is the chimney sweepers Regulation Act of 1864?
Later in 1864, Chimney Sweepers Regulation Act was passed by Lord Shaftesbury. This new act imposed a 10 fine on the defaulters. This act had a great impact in preventing the vice of chimney sweeps.