The Filthy Profession of the Chimney Sweep Quiz

Answer: Children

As awful as it might be to think about, children were used for years as chimney sweeps. This had to do with their small size and their ability to fit into small places that an adult could not fit. It was not until the late 18th century and the start of the industrial revolution that chimneys were made large enough to accommodate adult chimney sweeps.

Answer: False

Being a chimney sweep was a low-paying, extremely dangerous, and very difficult job. If a chimney sweep was able to avoid injury, disease was right around the corner from years of breathing soot and smoke. Also because of the child labor, chimney sweeps were often looked after by cruel and abusive men.

Answer: Oliver Twist

Many Victorian novels included depictions of chimney sweeps as heartless and cruel. In "Oliver Twist" by English novelist Charles Dickens, Oliver comes close to being apprenticed out to Gamfield as a child chimney sweep. He is saved by the administrator when he realizes that Gamfield is responsible for the deaths of at least four of his child workers.

Answer: Black

While it was often hard to tell much about a chimney sweep, because they were filthy, it was often customary to wear black clothing, including a small black hat. People did not bathe with the same regularity as is done today. Many chimney sweeps bathed a couple of times a year and remained covered in soot for the rest of the year, increasing their chances for disease.

Answer: Provided easy access to chimney tops

A crow-stepped gable provided easier access to the chimney tops. This was basically a stair-step design at the top of brick walls. It was often seen in northern parts of Europe where chimney sweeps were a common site. One of the biggest dangers for a chimney sweep was falling, and these gables were an aesthetically pleasing safety measure.

Answer: False

Chimney sweeps entered chimneys from both the top and the bottom to ensure that the chimney was truly cleaned. When a chimney was not cleaned regularly, its soot could build up and it became a real fire hazard, as the chimney soot could catch fire and burn the house down.

Answer: Mary Poppins

Multi-talented actor Dick Van Dyke played Bert a chimney sweep/handy man in the 1964 musical "Mary Poppins". Bert sings and dances his way into the viewer's hearts while his brother does a chimney sweep's dance in the background. The song "Chim-Chim Cheree" which won an Oscar that year for Best Song mentions some of the good luck aspects which were sometimes associated with chimney sweeps.

The chorus of this song is "Good luck will rub off when I shake 'ands with you, or blow me a kiss...and that's lucky too".

Answer: A wedding

In Great Britain it is thought to be good luck for a bride to see a chimney sweep on her wedding day, or to receive a kiss from one. The idea of a chimney sweep bringing good luck started when a London chimney sweep saved the life of Charles II. A horse from the king's carriage bolted down the street.

The only person to assist was a London chimney sweep who stepped forward, pulled up the horses and saved the king's life. The king was so impressed that he made an announcement by royal decree that declared that all chimney sweeps were good luck bearers and must be respected as such.

Some modern chimney sweeps will even hire themselves out to be in attendance at weddings. They appear at the wedding in authentic Victorian-style outfits and bestow a kiss on the bride to ensure future good luck. If you are interested in this service, just search for the phrase "lucky chimney sweeps" in your search engine and links to many British companies that provide this service will pop up.

Answer: Rub the buttons of your jacket

It is thought that rubbing the button of your jacket or coat, when you see a chimney sweep, ensures good luck for future endeavors.

Answer: Brush

Chimneys were/are cleaned with brushes. Changes in brush design, along with the child labor laws and larger chimneys, made cleaning chimneys safer and easier for adults. Early photos and paintings will usually depict a chimney sweep with his long handled brush.