This episode is sponsored by Wix go to wix.com forward slash go forward slash simple history to create a website now
Gong farmer
Disgusting jobs in history a
A job as disgusting as it was dangerous.
Until the development of modern plumbing,
the gong farmer filled an important role within communities.
Like most professions centered on the upkeep of everyday human life,
these workers toiled tirelessly to maintain the status quo expected of a civilized society.
The gong farmer was also caught by another name, nightmen,
reflecting the dark hours they were allowed to do their work.
Collecting and disposing of human waste, after all,
was best kept out of daylight and out of the sights of others.
The term gong comes from the old english word gang
Meaning to go and it's used to describe this particular task began during the Tudor period of the 15th and 16th centuries in England
Before modern times public latrines were commonly used in urban areas to collect refuse in large cesspits dark far down beneath them
to keep satisfactory levels of Sanitation the maintenance and construction of cesspits and cesspools was
Important in preventing the spread of disease within a city or town
Properly built it might take a year or more before needing to be excavated though many still needed to be cleaned out several times annually
goats less than
Watertight to allow liquids to drain out of the waste what was left within the cesspit needed to be?
Collected and disposed of in a more permanent manner before it began to overflow
This night soil could be taken to a larger cess pit outside of town called a lay store or in many cases
Could be sold as fertilizer to local farmers
it was the task of the gong farmer to see these things done and though it was a job better left unspoken off by the
local populace many of them maintained a professional
attitude about their work often the job would be done by three or four men at a time after
Traversing down into the cess pit the designated whole man would begin by filling a bucket or tub with waste
The Rope man would then hold the bucket out and hand it to the tub man
Who would then proceed to carry it to a cart for transportation in?
Larger operations chutes and pipes would be employed to expedite the removal of material
but whether it was public or private large or small the night's men would
diligently remove the excrement from the pits until they were safe for use again in
Many cases when improperly maintained
Cesspits and cesspools could break and spill out into streets yards and houses if left unchecked
Waste could make its way into wells and contaminate entire water supplies
Thus the gong farmer was ever important to ensure the welfare and safety of the community
But besides being a nauseating job the night man's working conditions presented serious hazards to his health
They faced increased risks of infection
Sickness and disease from exposure to their harvest while poor ventilation could mean death from asphyxiation
Though it often paid
Well gong farming was always considered a miserable trade to be in when seen a night man was essentially wallowing in human refuse
Becoming covered in the muck as he worked away
Drowning and suffocation was a danger for night men and citizens alike
The maintenance and construction of cesspits and latrines presented hazards of their own
when full the woodwork could begin to fall apart and give way making traps out of the
installations in one of the earliest accounts of waste disposal
To 14th century sanitation worker Richard the raker fell through the boards of a poorly cabs privy and around in the excrements below
gong farming as a profession slowly began to disappear throughout the 19th century as better sanitation practices and
Infrastructure were developed to deal with a never-ending problem of waste removal though difficult to construct
Underground sewer systems became a priority in overcrowded cities and the invention of the water closet or flush toilets
revolutionized the methods of refuse disposal it was the end of a difficult and dangerous job, but it was a job most if not all
Happy to see disappear
Website building is not dangerous, but it is difficult
If you haven't built one before so use wax to easily create the sites that you dreamt off regardless of your skill level
Go to wix.com forward slash go forward slash simple history to create a professional site today
Wix has great features to bring your site to life such as Wix videos
Wix Pro Gallery Wix bookings and solutions for all kinds of sites such as e-commerce
music hotels events restaurants and more build your own
website and support their simple History Channel by going to Wix calm
/go forward slash simple history or simply click the link in the description below to get started