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. During this era, that amount of money was a considerable sum!Дuring the beginning of the 18th century, numerous types of methods to clean chimneys were invented. Lord ShaftesburyвЂ™s Act for the Regulation of Chimney-Sweepers ordained a penalty of ВЈ10 for those who broke the law. 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. The children frequently became stuck in the narrower flues or became off balanced and fell to their deaths. In fact, there are cases where children choked and suffocated to death due to dust inhalation. No safety clothing or regulations were designed to protect these boys. Unfortunately, washing facilities were rare and diseases, as a result of the soot, like cancer of the testicles were not uncommon. For example, some children were made to sleep in the basement on bags of soot. Nonetheless, the childrenвЂ™s living conditions were appalling, even cruel. However, London established the вЂњLondon Society of Master SweepsвЂќ 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. 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. Scrapers made from metal were utilised to eliminate stubborn tar deposited by woodВ smoke. A вЂњMaster SweepвЂќ would employ small boys and girls to climb up within the flues to clean them. THE CHIMNEY SWEEP BOYSД®ven during the Georgian period, it was understood that chimneys required sweeping in order to function properly. However, even though fireplaces and chimneys were beneficial, there was a segment of the population that suffered dearly for this convenience. 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. 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. 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. The smoke fire easily wafted through open windows, doors, or via openings in the roof. These were usually placed in the center of a room or against a wall. Nonetheless, homes seldom adopted this method of heating, and were still heated by a central wood fire burning on hearthstones. They structured the chimney and flue as a means of funneling off the smoke that resulted from log fires from the roof. The Romans were the first to realise that abiding in a warm, toasty home was better than a cold one. 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 chimney sweep