With the technological advancements that have swept the world and the reliance on modern devices and components, many professions and jobs from the past have disappeared. Some of these roles were quite fascinating, such as those who worked as “human alarms” to wake people up for their various commitments, a task now largely replaced by modern alarm clocks.

During the Industrial Revolution, which spread across Europe from the 18th century until the late 1920s, people in Britain and Ireland needed to wake up early to reach work on time. This demand led to a profession sometimes referred to as “knocker-up.” A knocker-up was someone whose job was to travel from house to house early in the morning, or at other times, to wake workers by tapping on their bedroom windows using a heavy stick or a short, stout rod. For windows on higher floors, they often used a long, lightweight stick, frequently made of bamboo. Occasionally, they might even throw peas to rouse sleepers. In return, clients paid them a weekly fee, which was determined by the distance the knocker-up had to travel and the specific time of day when the person needed to be awakened.

Generally, this job was performed by elderly men and women, but sometimes police officers took on this role to supplement their income. They would include this duty as part of their early morning patrols in industrial areas with many workers, ensuring that clients were fully awake and out of bed before leaving.

This profession thrived with an increasing number of clients and expanding coverage. Knockers-up developed a system where they marked times on the walls of clients’ houses with chalk, such as “half past three” or “five o’clock,” to remind themselves of the required wake-up times. They also designated specific places in the homes where they would knock.

Despite its uniqueness, the job had its challenges, particularly from neighbors of clients. Some neighbors found the loud knocking on doors or windows disruptive and annoying, affecting their own sleep. Additionally, some workers, awakened by the knocking, would leave for work without paying, as the fee was the responsibility of the neighboring client.

Although this profession was widespread at the time, a significant question remains: How did this profession originate? Historical records do not provide a clear answer. However, it is well-known how it ended. The invention and widespread availability of alarm clocks made human alarms obsolete, leading to the decline of this once-common job.