History's Horrid Jobs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Searched for small iron nodules in peat bogs.

Where streams flow through peat bogs, iron is collected and naturally concentrated, by bacterial action, into pea sized nodules. In some areas, this process can result in considerable quantities of available iron. The Bog Iron Hunter spent his days sifting through the peat bogs searching for these nodules.

The work was carried out all year round, and in winter must have been extremely cold, damp, and unhealthy. You can read about the work of the Bog Iron Hunter and other professions of Roman and Saxon Britain at http://www.channel4/history/microsites/W/worstjobs/roman.html.

Answer: Wool

Fullers turned coarse, greasy wool into soft, compact material, hence their work was very important. Unfortunately it was also rather unpleasant. The natural wool was placed into large vats of stale urine, and the Fullers, also known as Walkers or Waulkmillers, spent much of their working day treading the wool. Eventually the ammonia given off by the urine dissolved the natural grease of the wool, and softened and compacted it. To learn more of the work of the Fuller, and other medieval occupations, see http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/W/worstjobs/medieval.html.

Answer: By walking bare legged through reed beds.

Leeches are blood sucking worms found in many damp environments. Leech collectors, who were often women, walked bare legged through marshes and fens, allowing the leeches to attach themselves. The leeches would then be carefully removed, or allowed to drink their fill of blood and drop off naturally. Use of leeches is gaining credence in modern medical techniques, particularly in plastic surgery, as they can efficiently remove blood from damaged tissue without the need for surgery. Medieval doctors were often nicknamed 'leeches' due to their use of these creatures, and the widespread practice of removing blood in order to relieve various conditions.

Answer: All of these

Huge quantities of lime were required for building large houses, cathedrals, castles and fortifications, and lime was obtained either from chalk or sea shells. These were heated for about two days in clay kilns, during which time large quantities of toxic gas was given off by the process.

This produced a solid cake of calcium oxide (quicklime) which was immediately plunged into a vat of cold water. The Lime Burner might then be peppered with highly corrosive particles of slaked lime. After cooling and draining, the lime nodules were crushed into powder ready for use. Lime kiln workers have been around since Roman times, and the artist James Abbott McNeil Whistler made sketches of an 18th century Lime Burner in 1859, and a river view of a limehouse in 1878.

Answer: Turned the spit on which meat was roasted.

Turnbrooch, or Spitboy, was the lowest rank in the kitchen hierarchy, and boys were often used for this boring and very uncomfortable work. The spit had to be constantly turned in front of the large kitchen fire, and the Turnbrooch sat there all day doing this boring task.

The Turnbrooch usually sat at the side of the fire where he could escape some of the heat. Some horrible jobs have compensations, and one of those, for the Turnbrooch, was that he didn't need to worry about keeping warm in winter! You can read more about the Turnbooch and other medieval jobs at http://www.channel4/history/microsites/W/worstjobs/medieval.html.

Answer: He wiped and cleaned the king's bottom.

The Groom of the Stool was a privileged position, held only by a trusted courtier. Not only did they get to know the king's body intimately, but were amongst the closest confidants of his Majesty. The rewards of the post could be considerable, but equally the punishment for betraying the king's confidence could be drastic.

Henry VIII's excessive eating habits are well documented, so the Groom of the Stool's unusual responsibility must, at times, have been in urgent demand.

Answer: Dug out cesspits and cleared blocked sewers.

Most people avoided the company of Gong Scourers due to their foul stench and ever present accompaniment of flies. Early sewer pipes and troughs were close to the street surface, and overflowed when blocked. It was the Gong Scourer's job to clear these blockages.

After they had dug out the cesspit or primitive sewer, they transported the mess to a dumping place outside the city walls. Some cities decreed that Gong Scourers could only work at night, and had to reside well away from everyone else. The word 'gong' simply means dung. You can read more about Gong Scourers and other Tudor jobs at http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/W/worstjobs/tudor.html.

Answer: He had to attach a primitive bomb to castle gates whilst under fire from the defenders.

The petard was a bell or cone shaped metal device, packed with gunpowder, and attached to a board or platform. The Petardier and/or his assistant(s) had to carry it to the castle or city gates and position it hard against the gate. During this time they would normally be under constant enemy fire from the walls above.

The petard fuse was then lit and the Petardiers had to run away as fast as possible. If the petard exploded prematurely or they didn't run fast enough they could be blown up by the backblast of the explosion - hence the saying "Hoist by his own petard".

Answer: They were common foot soldiers who used muskets.

Musketeers fought in most of the 17th century European wars, including the English Civil War and the Thirty Years War. They largely replaced the archers of earlier wars. Archers had to train constantly as their weapons required considerable strength and skill to use. Musketeers, on the other hand, could be trained in a few weeks.

When in battle, Musketeers had to face the enemy while standing in close ranks being shot at by enemy musket and cannon, and enduring cavalry charges. Fellow musketeers would fall dead or wounded, often screaming in agony, but the Musketeer had to remain there doing his job until either the enemy gave up or he was ordered to retreat.

Answer: He was a dog-catcher.

The Knockknobbler was employed either by the local town or in some cases by the church in order to either catch or chase away stray dogs. There was always the risk of being bitten by a savage or even rabid dog, and wounds from dog bites could become infected and prove fatal.

Answer: Assisting the ship's surgeon on naval vessels.

The Lobblolly generally assisted the surgeon, by cleaning the work area and feeding sick mariners with a specially prescribed diet of oatmeal porridge containing some meat and vegetables. He would have to clean away blood and vomit, remove amputated limbs during battles, and deal with people who were near death. Commonly called the Loblolly Boy, the post was often held by an experienced seaman, too old for hard manual work.

The post of Loblolly Boy was formally recognised in U.S. Navy Regulations of 1814, though it had been in common usage for many years before this. You can read more about the work of the Loblolly and other Georgian jobs at http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/W/worstjobs/georgian.html.

Answer: They worked on the looms of textile mills.

Children, often no more than five or six years old, were recruited from orphanages and workhouses to work at menial tasks in textile mills. The work of the Back Tenter could be dangerous, and many children suffered injury or even death. They had to crawl behind or beneath large, noisy mill looms collecting loose pieces of cotton waste. Similar work was carried out by child workers known as Mill Scavengers who spent their days beneath the mill machines collecting cotton waste and debris.

The appalling work conditions, poor diet, and long work days in terrifying conditions often led to early death for these traumatised youngsters.

This was child abuse at its worst, and some caring activists worked hard to improve the lives of child workers. In Britain, the Factories Act of 1833 made it illegal to employ children below the age of nine years old in textile mills, but this was poorly enforced. Occasionally a Back Tenter survived the hazards to rise to a senior position in the Mill, even to Mill Manager.

Answer: Patrolled the tidal mudflats searching for anything which could be recovered and sold.

Mudlarks patrolled the mudflats of London's River Thames at low tide, searching for any items which could be sold including rags, bottles, bones, ropes, wood, coal, etc. In winter or during heavy rain, this was a particularly miserable occupation. Victorian journalist, Henry Mayhew, described Mudlarks as follows: "They may be seen of all ages, from mere childhood to positive decrepitude, crawling among the barges at the various wharfs along the river.

It cannot be said that they are clad in rags, for they are scarcely half covered by the tattered, indescribable things that serve them for clothing; their bodies are grimed with the foul soil of the river, and their torn garments stiffened up like boards with dirt of every description".

Answer: Walked through sewers searching for anything of value.

Toshers had a particularly unpleasant job, though occasionally they might have found something of real value. Their work was also quite dangerous because of the build up of sewer gases and leaked gas from street lamp supplies. These could create an explosive mixture, and as Toshers used oil lamps or candles to light their way through the sewer, the risk was considerable.

The term 'Tosher' was also used to describe thieves who stole copper plating from the hulls of moored ships and barges.

Answer: Surface worker in a tin mine.

Bal is an old Cornish word meaning mine, and Bal Maidens were female surface workers in Cornish tin mines. Their work included cobbing, spalling, and bucking. Cobbing was chiseling off waste rock from the tin ore. Spalling was using a hammer to break large rocks into more manageable pieces. Bucking was crushing the ore with large flat hammers before the advent of steam driven ore crushing machinery.

The work of Bal Maidens was both arduous and dirty.