It is rumoured that back in the 18th century, an unknown chimney sweep bravely stepped out and stopped a coach & horse as it bolted.
The sweep was able to grab the reins of the panicking horse saving the passenger from a fatal accident.
The sweep then disappeared into the crowd before he could be thanked.
The grateful passenger, being none other then his Majesty King Geoge II, afterwards declared that all sweeps should be considered bearers of good luck and treated with honour and
respect.
Folklore decrees that a groom on his wedding day should shake hands with a sweep to bring good luck to the marriage.
It is also said that, a bride kissing a sweep on her wedding day will be pregnant within a year and the child will have the gift of clairvoyance.
The Chimney Sweeps began to cash in on their mystique by inventing their own system of fortune telling based on the popular game of three-card brag.
The music hall references to sweeps providing “extra services” to the lady of the house were true - but not in the way they were hinted at!
The first lady that the sweep read for was never charged.
Instead he took a ribbon from her and always carried it with him as a protection for his soul during his work.
From then on, any lady brave enough to offer a silver sixpence would have the sweep tell her fortune with his pendulum and cards.
It has taken me many years to uncover the secrets of the family heirloom that has been passed to me, a small tin containing a pendulum, a pack of cards and a piece of
ribbon.
Now I know what it is and how it was used, I’m proud to carry on my family tradition of reading for any lady that is brave enough to seek out what the cards fortell.
I should add that the Chimney Sweeps invented this system for their own, financial, benefit so any reading shiould be taken with the proverbial pinch of salt!
The Chimney Sweep's Oracle is a great way to generate a buzz at any sort of party.
Because of the way that the Sweeps used the cards (reading while the man of the house was not there), the readings are not long and complicated so many people will have the chance to
see what the Oracle has to say about their future in a reasonably short space of time.
Having a hen party or girly night? This is the perfect way to start the fun and give all the girls something to talk about for the rest of the evening.
AN EXCERPT FROM "FOG SHROUDED TALES OF LONDON'S EAST END, 1880-1920"
BY S. CLARKE, PUBLISHED BY PULLMAN'S YARNS 1979
My old Mum was the local "Wise Woman". She used to read the tea leaves and the cards, things like that. When she died she made sure her playing cards were buried with her. She didn't want no-one getting their hands on "her cards" as she called them. No-one in the family would dare to make a decision without asking Mum and her cards first, and let me tell you - those cards never served us wrong. Not once. Mum used to read the cards for everyone in our street, but the only person she would let read for her was the chimney sweep. In them days sweeping chimneys was only half the job they'd do. The other half was fortune telling. Mum would tell him to hurry up and get the chimney done so he had more time to concentrate on her reading. Sweeping the chimney cost a penny, reading the cards cost sixpence. Of course the sweep would only come round when Dad was at work. Dad would've gone mad if he'd known Mum was paying sixpence to the sweep to have her cards read!"
Beryl Shaw, Whitechapel
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