The Professional Human Alarm Clocks

Before affordable alarm clocks existed, workers hired human knockers-up to wake them. These early risers would tap on bedroom windows with long poles to ensure clients reached their shifts on time.

During the Industrial Revolution, factories required rigid schedules, but mechanical clocks were too expensive for many laborers. A knocker-up was paid a small weekly fee to make their rounds, often using long sticks or pea-shooters to reach high windows. Interestingly, these people also needed waking up, creating a strange chain of employment. This reliable human service persisted in some British towns well into the 1970s.