Chimney Sweeps Author:James Cross Giblin "All Up!" It was just before dawn on a quiet London street in 1800. A very young chimn ey sweep had just announced to his master below that he had reached the roof. His job was to clean all the soot that had collected in the dirty chimney. Sweeps are not just figures of the past. From the twelfth century to today, from Europe to the United State... more »s, here is a look at the folklore and history surrounding the colorful and fascinating chimney sweep.