Jobs have changed a lot over the centuries. Many old-fashioned jobs have disappeared because of new technology, or because they are no longer needed. Here are some jobs that were popular many years ago but have now died out.
The knocker-upper
Before alarm clocks, knocker-uppers would go around waking people up. They would use a bamboo stick to knock on windows and doors at their customers' houses.
These people were hired to make sure other people could get to work on time.
This was a common job in some cities during the 19th century, because factory workers had to be woken up at odd times. Knocker-uppers were replaced by alarm clocks once they became cheaper to buy.
The factory reader
In the 1800s, factory workers worked long hours. They would often fall asleep at their job.
To keep themselves awake, they would often collect money to hire a reader who would read aloud to them while they worked. Factory readers were usually well-educated men who were also good at speaking in different voices.
But then the radio was invented, and workers could listen to that instead!
The scribe
Education was a privilege in ancient Egypt, and not everyone could learn to read and write. Only a special group of people was allowed to do so.
Boys were sent to school at a young age to read and write Egyptian scripts. All the hard work was worth it, though, because scribes didn't have to pay taxes, join the army or do any physical work. The best ones could even work in the pharaoh's palace.
The leech collector
Collecting leeches was a job in the 1700s, when the creatures were used in bloodletting (a medical treatment where blood is sucked out from a patient to cure an illness).
Leech collectors would gather leeches from ponds by wading around with bare legs. They would then pick off the bloodsucking creatures and sell them to doctors.
Most people did not want this job, because not only were leech collectors badly paid, they often caught infections from the creatures.
The muffin man
Going from house to house with a tray of freshly-baked muffins on his head, the muffin man was a welcome sight every morning in England. These hawkers usually announced themselves by ringing a bell.
Sadly, they were no longer needed because bakeries began to open all over the country.
Fun facts
Before radar was invented, one strange job at the airport was to listen for aeroplanes arriving!
Quick questions
- Which invention put factory readers out of a job?
- What tool did the knocker-uppers use?
- What were leeches used for?
