How Chimney Sweeps lived in the 1800s!

In the year 1841 the number of chimney sweeps in Britain totaled 5028. More than one hundred and twenty of them were widows who had taken over their husband's businesses. There were eight hundred chimney sweeps in and around London and those tradesmen employed four hundred journeymen and sixty two boys. Although there were a large number of chimneys to sweep, most of their income still came from collecting and selling soot.