Chimney Sweep Child Labour Industrial Revolution

During the industrial revolution particularly moving into the 19th century and the victorian era child labour wasn t uncommon.

Chimney sweep child labour industrial revolution.

As a chimney sweep permanently blackened with layers of soot to provide some protection against the fire and heat of chimneys hudson was among the most visible of child labourers. At the time this poem was written chimney sweeps were mostly comprised of child laborers who had an extremely difficult life and were unprotected in british society. The prominence of using small children as chimney sweeps began after the great fire of london which occurred september 2nd through 5th 1666. In the modern day our view of chimney sweeps has undoubtedly been influenced and affected by portrayals in popular media.

From cotton mills to coal mines children were cheap labour and small enough to fit into the hard to reach places such as sliding underneath looms to pick up loose cotton or wedging themselves between rocks ready to open mining trap doors. Powerless children were made apprentice chimney sweeps from 1773 master chimney sweeps regularly kept anywhere from 2 to 20 children depending on how many they could use for their business. The act forbade the apprenticing of any boy under the age of 10 years and the employment of children under 14 in chimney sweeping unless they were apprenticed or on trial.