Worse Than Dirty Jobs

I bumped into an article the other day on mom.me that listed jobs that are, thankfully, no longer required in the modern era.  Some jobs vanished as result of technological advancements.  Other jobs faded as culture evolved.  Here are a few of the jobs from the list:

Sin Eater:  Sin eaters were hired by families to “take on” the mortal sins of recently deceased relatives.  They performed their duties by dining over the corpse.

Knocker Upper:  No.  Not sexual.  Before the availability of alarm clocks, knocker uppers ran about the streets knocking on windows with pebbles or sticks (especially long sticks for upper story apartments) to wake folks for their workday.

Mudlark:  Mudlarks were scavengers that roamed the mud flats and banks of the Thames River in London during low tide seeking anything of value they might sell or use.  Mudlarks were a common site during the 18^th and 19^th centuries.   Poor children and destitute elderly people counted for most of the mudlarks.  They were not opposed to stripping valuables from a dead person when they chanced upon one.

Whipping Boy:  In 15^th century England, only the king was allowed to punish his son.  On those occasions where the prince misbehaved and the king was not available to dispense the proper punishment, whipping boys were lashed in the prince’s stead.  The whipping boys were raised alongside the prince from birth.

Leech Collector:  The leech collectors would lie in ponds and allow leeches to attach to their bare legs.  The leech collectors would then pluck the leeches from their legs and sell them to pharmacists and medical practitioners.  Leeches have been used in medical treatments since ancient times.  They were especially popular when bloodletting became a common practice.  The medical use of leeches continues to this day.   They are sometimes used to help restore blood flow when skin is grafted or fingers are reattached.  Thankfully, better sources for leeches are used today.

Gong Farmer:  Gong farmers removed excrement from outhouses and cesspits.  The gong farmers worked at night and used shovels and buckets to remove the (mostly solid) excrement. 

--Mitchell Hegman

If you are interested, the entire list of jobs can be found here:  http://mom.me/fun/11696-20-jobs-your-kid-will-never-hold/

Note:  The article at mom.me sites primary sources for most of the information.  I have added a bit of supplementary information.