A brief history of Pearce & Son Chimney Sweeps

My great-grandad was the eldest brother, also named Alfred Pearce. He served in the First World War as a sniper before he was shot in the leg and taken as a prisoner of war. He set up his chimney sweeping business in Courthill Road, Ladywell from 1926 and worked with my grandad up until the 1960s. My grandad Dennis Pearce set up his chimney sweeping business in Forest Hill in 1956 and continued to work there until he retired in 1996. My father, Stephen Pearce, has been sweeping chimneys for 35 years with my grandad and is still booking our appointments and offering 70 years of expert advice to customers. There are still three other family members working as chimney sweeps as the family tradition continues.

We still cover the same areas my great, great-grandad covered but with the use of a van instead of a horse and cart. We have expanded our reach over the years and now cover:

A famous relative was Henry Pearce, nicknamed the 'Game Chicken'. He became a British boxing champion in 1805, gaining his boxing experience in boxing booths around the country whilst working as a travelling chimney sweep.