1. The Leech Collector
Back in the days when doctors believed that bleeding out your ailments was the key to good health, someone had to make sure there were plenty of leeches on hand. Enter the leech collector, a person who would wade into muddy ponds and let the slimy little creatures latch onto their legs. Once the leeches had their fill, the collector would pull them off and sell them to doctors and apothecaries. It was messy, painful, and dangerous work, but it paid the bills.
Collectors often suffered from infections and blood loss, since letting dozens of leeches feed on you every day took a toll. Some even used livestock, like old horses, to help lure the leeches instead. The job was surprisingly important, since the demand for leeches was huge during the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, it sounds like a nightmare gig, but at the time, it was a respected profession.
2. The Knocker-Up
Before alarm clocks were affordable, people relied on a living, breathing human snooze button called the knocker-up. This job was exactly what it sounds like: someone who came to your window at the crack of dawn and tapped with a long stick until you woke up. Some even used pea shooters or rattles to make sure their clients got out of bed.
It might sound funny now, but it was a serious profession in 19th-century England and Ireland. Factory workers and laborers depended on knocker-ups to make sure they didn’t lose their jobs by oversleeping. Ironically, knocker-ups themselves needed to wake up before everyone else, so their lives were built on early mornings and long walks through city streets.
3. The Rat Catcher
Cities of the past were crawling with rats, and without proper pest control, someone had to step in. Rat catchers were hired to keep the rodent population under control, especially in places like London where disease was rampant. They carried nets, dogs, and even ferrets to flush the rodents out of hiding.
It was dirty, dangerous work, but the demand was constant. Rat catchers often paraded their haul around town to prove their worth, and sometimes even sold the live rats to pit fighters. Some became minor celebrities for their daring skills. While it may sound like a tall tale, rat catching was a crucial profession in keeping towns livable.
4. The Gong Farmer
If you think your job stinks, try being a gong farmer in Tudor England. These workers were responsible for cleaning out cesspits, privies, and other places where human waste piled up. Armed with shovels and buckets, they worked mostly at night so their unpleasant task wouldn’t disturb the public.
The work was dangerous, as cesspits could collapse or release toxic gases. But despite the risks, gong farmers earned relatively good money compared to other laborers. Their efforts were essential in keeping communities somewhat sanitary. Still, it’s safe to say nobody grew up dreaming of this particular career path.
5. The Whipping Boy
In royal households, young princes were considered too important to punish. So instead, they had whipping boys. If a prince misbehaved, his whipping boy would take the punishment in his place. The theory was that seeing a friend suffer would guilt the prince into behaving better.
Whipping boys often grew up close to royalty, sharing lessons and forming bonds with the very children who got them into trouble. It was a bizarre mix of privilege and suffering. While the practice sounds unbelievable today, it was a real position in several European courts. In a twisted way, these boys sacrificed for the future kings.
6. The Dog Whipper
In medieval churches, services were sometimes interrupted by wandering dogs. To fix this problem, parishes hired dog whippers. Their job was to keep strays out and remove any that snuck in, usually with a whip or long stick. Some even had designated seats in the church to keep an eye on things.
It might sound like an easy job, but churches were community centers where animals often roamed freely. Dog whippers had to be quick, firm, and not afraid of being bitten. Their presence shows just how different daily life was centuries ago, when dogs mingling in holy places was a common problem.
7. The Resurrectionist
Medical schools once had a problem: they needed cadavers for teaching, but legal supply was limited. Enter the resurrectionists, also known as body snatchers. These men dug up freshly buried corpses and sold them to anatomists for dissection.
The work was illegal, dangerous, and often done at night with the risk of being caught by grieving families or guards. Yet it was highly profitable, and many surgeons quietly relied on them. The profession became so notorious that some cemeteries even installed iron cages over graves. It’s a job that feels more like horror fiction, but it was a grim reality.
8. The Sin-Eater
When someone died in certain parts of England and Wales, families sometimes hired a sin-eater. This person would sit by the corpse and eat a meal, often bread and ale, laid out on the chest of the deceased. The belief was that by consuming the food, the sin-eater would absorb the sins of the dead.
It was a somber and lonely job, as sin-eaters were often shunned by society. People needed them, but they also feared them for the spiritual burden they carried. Many lived on the fringes of villages, called upon only when death came. It’s one of the strangest and most haunting professions history has ever known.
9. The Loblolly Boy
On naval ships of the 18th and 19th centuries, surgeons needed assistants, and that’s where the loblolly boys came in. Their main tasks were to hand tools, prepare bandages, and help restrain patients during surgeries. They also mixed a gruel called “loblolly” for the sick, which gave them their name.
The job was often given to young men or boys who had no medical training. They saw gruesome operations and faced constant exposure to disease. Many later became fully trained surgeons, while others never recovered from the horrors they witnessed. It was a strange steppingstone into the world of medicine.
10. The Powder Monkey
Sailing into battle during the age of cannons required quick hands and bravery, and powder monkeys were the ones who carried gunpowder from the ship’s hold to the cannons. These were often young boys, chosen because their small size made them quick and nimble in tight spaces.
The work was perilous, since one spark could mean disaster. They dashed back and forth amid cannon fire, smoke, and chaos, supplying the crew with ammunition. Despite their age, powder monkeys played a vital role in naval warfare. Their courage was real, even if the name makes it sound like a childhood game.
11. The Pardoner
In medieval Europe, the Catholic Church had officials called pardoners who sold indulgences. Essentially, they were middlemen claiming to shorten someone’s time in purgatory for a price. They carried documents and relics, traveling from town to town offering forgiveness to those who could pay.
The profession became infamous for corruption, as many pardoners exaggerated their power or outright scammed the faithful. Still, people often believed in their services, desperate for spiritual security. It was a strange mix of religion and business that eventually sparked backlash. Chaucer even mocked pardoners in The Canterbury Tales.
12. The Link Boy
Before streetlights, wealthy people didn’t like walking around in the dark. They hired link boys to guide them, carrying torches through the streets at night. Link boys were usually young, often poor, and worked for tips.
While some were trustworthy, others had reputations for leading clients into dangerous alleys or working with thieves. The flickering torchlight they carried was both a comfort and a hazard. Though their job was simple, link boys were a fixture of city life for centuries. Their profession vanished as soon as reliable street lighting arrived.
13. The Powder Tester
In times when gunpowder was stored in bulk, someone had to make sure it still worked. Powder testers took small samples and set them off to see if the gunpowder was still potent. It was as risky as it sounds—handling volatile powder that could explode at any moment.
The job required nerve and precision, as faulty powder could mean disaster in battle. Testers had to balance safety with the demands of war or hunting. While the profession didn’t last long, it shows how even dangerous tasks were once considered just another day’s work. It’s the kind of job that feels like a legend, yet it was very real.
14. The Alnager
Back in medieval England, textiles were a huge part of the economy. The alnager was the official inspector of cloth, making sure fabrics met the standards for size and quality. They carried a wooden yardstick called an ell to measure the goods, and their seal of approval was essential for trade.
Merchants relied on alnagers to certify their cloth before selling it. While it sounds simple, disputes over measurements could get heated. The position was important enough that alnagers were appointed by the crown. Today, it feels like a quirky relic of a world where fabric could make or break fortunes.
15. The Tosher
In Victorian London, sewers were more than just waste tunnels—they were treasure hunts for people called toshers. These workers waded through the muck looking for coins, scraps of metal, or anything else they could sell. Armed with lanterns and long poles, they braved rats, disease, and the constant threat of flooding.
It was a filthy but surprisingly profitable line of work for some. Stories circulated of toshers finding gold rings or silver spoons in the sewers. They became a sort of urban legend themselves, half admired and half pitied. Their strange profession shows just how resourceful people could be in the grimiest of conditions.