The _Leeks_ are men who have not been brought up to the trade of
chimney sweeping, but have adopted it as a speculation, and are so
called from their entering _green_, or inexperienced, into the
business. There are I find as many as 200 leeks altogether among the
master chimney-sweepers of the metropolis. Of the “high masters” the
greater portion are leeks--no less than 92 out of 106. I was informed
that one of this class was formerly a solicitor, others had been
ladies’ shoemakers, and others master builders and bricklayers. Among
the lower-class sweepers who have taken to this trade, there are
dustmen, scavagers, bricklayers’ labourers, soldiers, costermongers,
tinkers, and various other unskilled labourers.
The leeks are regarded with considerable dislike by the class of
masters who have been regularly brought up to the business, and served
their apprenticeships as climbing-boys. These look upon the leeks
as men who intrude upon, or interfere with, their natural and, as
they account it, legal rights--declaring that only such as have been
brought up to the business should be allowed to establish themselves
in it as masters. The chimney-sweepers, as far as I can learn, have
never possessed any guild, or any especial trade regulations, and this
opinion of their rights being invaded by the leeks arises most probably
from their knowledge that during the climbing-boy system every lad so
employed, unless the son of his employer, was obliged to be apprenticed.
This jealousy towards the leeks does not at all affect the operative
sweepers, as some of these leeks are good masters, and among them,
perhaps, is to be found the majority of the capitalists of the
chimney-sweeping trade, paying the best wages, and finding their
journeymen proper food and lodging. Into whatever district I travelled
I heard the operative chimney-sweepers speak highly in favour of some
of the leeks.
Many of the small masters, however, said “it were a shame” for persons
who had never known the horrors of climbing to come into the trade
and take the bread out of the mouths of those who had undergone the
drudgery of the climbing system; and there appears to be some little
justice in their remarks.
Since the introduction of machines into the chimney-sweeping trade
the masters have increased considerably. In 1816 there were 200
masters, and now there are 350. Before the machines were introduced,
the high master sweepers or “great gentlemen,” as they were called,
numbered only about 20; their present number is 106. The lower-class
and master-men sweepers, on the other hand, were, under the climbing
system, from 150 to 180 in number; but at present there are as many as
240 odd. The majority of these fresh hands are “leeks,” not having been
bred to the business.