Knocker-up

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Knocker-up was a profession in Britain and Ireland that started during the Industrial Revolution and lasted well into the 20th century, before alarm clocks became affordable and widespread. A knocker-up's job was to rouse sleeping people so they could get to work on time. Using a long stick, baton, or a pea shooter, they would knock on clients' doors or windows until they were sure the occupants were awake.

History

The role of the knocker-up was crucial in the tightly scheduled industrial towns where many workers did shifts in the mills, factories, and docks. The service was usually performed by elderly men and women looking for extra income, or sometimes by police constables who were already on their beat. Payment for their services was typically collected weekly.

Method

The tools of the trade varied: some knocker-ups used a truncheon or a long stick to reach windows on higher floors, while others used a pea shooter to fire dried peas at bedroom windows. The knocker-up would not leave a client's window until they were sure that the client had been awakened.

Cultural Impact

The profession of knocker-up is a vivid illustration of how communities adapted to the demands of industrial society before the advent of modern conveniences like alarm clocks. It also reflects the close-knit nature of working-class communities, where people relied on one another for essential services.

Decline

The profession began to decline with the spread of affordable alarm clocks and the improvement of workers' living standards, which allowed them more control over their waking hours. By the mid-20th century, the knocker-up had become largely obsolete, though some were still working into the 1950s and 1960s in some areas.

Legacy

Today, the knocker-up is remembered as a quaint symbol of a bygone era, often featured in historical accounts and documentaries about life in industrial Britain. Their existence highlights the human ingenuity in adapting to the needs of the time and the interconnectedness of community life in the past.