Sweeping the Soot: Child Labour in British Chimneys, 1700–1900

An examination of how children as young as ten were forced to climb London’s stone chimneys, the economic logic that made this practice inevitable, and the legislative struggle to protect them. The episode looks at contemporary accounts, reformers’ campaigns, and the gradual shift from child labour to modern safety standards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices