13 Weirdest Jobs In History That You Didn’t Know Existed
History is full of strange things, including some really odd jobs people used to do. Imagine being paid to stand in a garden like a real-life garden gnome. That might seem chill, but other old jobs were not as nice, like being a groom of the stool. Some jobs in the past were just plain weird.
People have always found creative ways to make a living, and these weird jobs are proof of that. These are 13 of the weirdest jobs in history. Some of them will surprise you, and others will make you laugh.
Garden Hermits
These folks were basically living, breathing garden gnomes! They were called garden hermits or ornamental hermits and resided alone in specially built hermitages or rockeries on the estates of wealthy landowners. This mainly occurred during the 18th century. Their role extended beyond mere decoration; they were expected to stay on-site permanently, providing advice, entertainment, and sometimes even a touch of mystique to the estate.
Coffee Sniffer
Commissioned by Frederick the Great of Prussia in the late 18th century, these war invalids were tasked with sniffing out smuggled coffee. This was during a time when Prussia imposed high taxes on luxury items like coffee to promote domestic alternatives. The Coffee Sniffers played a crucial role in enforcing these regulations, ensuring that coffee consumption remained within the bounds of the law.
Groom Of The Stool
As the most intimate of a monarch’s courtiers, the Groom of the Stool assisted the king with excretion and hygiene. While seemingly useless, this role granted the groom considerable access and influence within the royal court due to the personal nature of their duties.
Leech Collector
In 19th-century Europe, leeches were in high demand for medical purposes, particularly bloodletting. Leech collectors procured these medicinal creatures, often using inventive methods like attracting them to animals or even their own bodies. Despite the demand, the job was hazardous due to blood loss and infections spread by the leeches.
Knocker-Up
Before alarm clocks, people known as knocker-ups were hired to wake people up for work by tapping on windows or shooting peas at them at designated times. This personalized wake-up service ensured punctuality in an era before the convenience of alarm clocks.
Dog Whipper
Operating primarily between the 16th and 19th centuries, dog whippers were tasked with maintaining order on church grounds by removing unruly dogs during services. Their role was essential in ensuring the solemnity of the church and protecting congregants from any disturbances.
Court Dwarf
Court dwarfs were novelties employed within royal courts. They were owned, traded, and sometimes gifted amongst the nobility. They served as both entertainers and symbols of wealth and power. Their histories are often recorded as curious footnotes in the annals of royal history.
Toad Doctors
Toad doctors specialized in curing ailments like scrofula and were believed to have powers against witchcraft. They were practitioners of folk magic in Western England. Their methods involved using live toads or parts thereof in healing rituals, reflecting the blend of superstition and folk medicine prevalent in their time. They would put the toad (or toad parts) in a muslin bag and hang it around the neck of a sick person.
Resurrectionists
In the 19th century, resurrectionists engaged in the grisly trade of exhuming corpses from graveyards for sale to medical schools. Notorious figures like Burke and Hare escalated the controversy by resorting to murder to meet demand, highlighting the ethical dilemmas involved in the job, according to the New York Academy of Medicine.
Fullers
Responsible for cleaning laundry in Ancient Rome, fullers endured a grueling process involving soaking cloth in water and alkaline chemicals, oftentimes including urine, and standing in it. They would then stomp, scrub, and wring it clean, according to the Encyclopedia of Ancient History. Despite the unpleasantness of the task, fullers played a vital role in maintaining hygiene and fabric quality in Roman society.
Lector
According to the Tampa Tribune, lectors were found in factories and tasked with alleviating the monotony of work by reading news and literature aloud to their colleagues. This practice not only provided entertainment but also created a sense of camaraderie and intellectual stimulation among factory workers.
Phrenologists
Predating modern psychology, phrenologists claimed to determine intelligence and personality traits by examining the shape of a person’s head. Although now discredited as pseudoscience, phrenology was once popular, reflecting society’s fascination with understanding human behavior through unconventional means.
Ice Cutter
Before refrigeration, people hired ice cutters to harvest ice from frozen lakes. This physically demanding job required precision and strength, as ice was a valuable commodity for preserving food and cooling beverages.
Chimney Sweeps
Chimney sweeps cleaned soot from chimneys, and they faced hazardous conditions. Child sweeps were often purchased from impoverished families. Children could fit in the chimneys better, but they faced serious health risks. Despite the risks, chimney sweeps play a crucial role in maintaining fire safety and preventing chimney fires in homes heated by wood.
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