Growing up, some of our family still had outhouses. However, we used lime and sawdust to cover the leavings, and once the pit was full, another was dug and the outhouse moved. Then dirt was piled over the old pit, and a fruit tree, rose bush, etc., was planted over it.
Ours was attached to our barn, and the area was an open pile backed by boards that held it in. Every so many years it had to be shoveled out and removed.
This is like “The worst jobs in history” with tony robinson which was some of my favourite documentaries. Really enjoying this after a long day of work with the next day off. Entertaining and reminds me how good I actually got it. The fact I work 8 hours in a sterile environment with breaks and can afford things like an Xbox/games, an iPad, etc. I’m really grateful. I don’t make a lot of money and wish I made more but watching videos on how hard conditions were a couple hundred years ago is eye opening.
@@bradleysmith9431 that sounds completely horrifying. It’s straight out of a horror movie or a bad nightmare. I pray that nobody has to go through that nasty ending…
As to the nuns in the medieval monasteries - there was no equal treatment in the convent just as there wasn't outside of it. The nuns who came from poor and ordinary families were work mules performing hard and dirty labor for the ones that were born in aristocratic and rich families. The latter did the lightweight and "white collar" jobs in the monasteries and ordered the former around. Also the reasons for a girl to end up as a nun was either unwillingness to get married (or inability to find a candidate for a husband that would be acceptable to the man in power in their family) or being forced into it by male relatives, often brothers or cousins, who wanted to put their hands on their inheritance and rid them of any political or other influence in the lay society. A girl with no power nor money to back her up would never be promoted to an abbesse, no matter what personal qualities, talents and qualifications she would possess. And not just that - she would be sat at the end of the table, get worse food, worse quarters etc. etc. Same as in military where you would have i.e. 20 year old generals etc. entering the army with a high rank because they went to an expensive private academy, or not even that but had their daddies buy their rank for them, or just been born a prince, duke or with any other noble title and been given their rank for that only, commanding +40 year old veterans who could command the troops with one finger but having had a glass ceiling built above their heads preventing them from reaching anything higher than the second or third lowest rank because they were commoners.
All that I think contributed to the IDEAL (not the reality) of the creation of the US. The idea being in theory you could be born a nobody (I believe Alexander Hamilton was born out of wedlock) and get to be a big cheese. Not that it was perfect since you had to be a white male land owner to vote but it was a START. The old world gave virtually no hope of upward mobility. I see the whole point of societal evolution is to make things more and more fair as we go along. We aren't THERE yet but we've made strides forward.
@@goodasgoing "Good ol' days" are elderly folks remembering their youthfull selves... Regardless of the century & hardships; being young & strong with most of your life ahead is always a time of nostalgia for those who have already lived most of life & can only anticipate their own decline in the near future.
There is no equivalent to Tony in the USA. He is a national treasure in Britain. Watch some Time Team the older ones have a hippy Tony long hair and all.
Maybe the dog was already dead and they threw it in the cesspit to get rid of it. Still a pretty undignified burial but not as awful as the other explanation
I wish that these episodes were a lot longer, because I LOVE learning how people had lived way back then, and all the way through the current century. We all need to thank all those that invented the things that we all take for granted.
Poor people used to sell their urine to the tanners. The (leather) tanners used the urine to tan the hides. Some people were so poor they couldn’t afford a pot to collect the family’s urine. That takes care of the first part of the saying. (Which you probably already knew.) I’ll bet you’re correct about the second part of the saying.
I really like how he can paint a picture. He makes the story's come alive in my head, so much so, that if I fall asleep watching his videos, I have real lucid dreams about it
In 1993, in northern Wales we toured the ruins of Flint castle. It was awesome and looked over the estuary. The toilet was 3 stories tall and using the same shoot. Good communication would have been needed so soldiers do not poop on eachother. I am surprised cities did not build urban gardens for citizens to poop in compost bins generating new soil, food for the worms without contaminating the ground water.
Human waste takes years to compost properly so it’s not full of diseases. Even with that most do not use it for food fertilizer since the risks might still be there.
@@RJFPme Best practices, in my opinion, is having layers of garden soil between the layers of "nutrients" in a 4x4 bin composters. Once full and leave it for a year, or even two years if you like, shovel the enriched soil around fruit trees. Works pretty well. To keep it clear of contaminating ground water, build a raised bed and then build the compost bins on top. Start each bin with 1/4 full of leaves, weeds, grass, chips, kitchen scraps before starting with humanure production. Always add a layer of garden soil after nutrients. Layers are good. It adds the good bacteria in soil to break down the disease bacteria. Cuts the smell immediately too...not to mention looks better. I really enjoyed this historical presentation on poop!
1972, in Utah, the ranch we bought had indoor plumbing, but since water was trucked in, they still had an outhouse, complete with black widow spiders, in use. The indoor toilet ran to an open cesspit, which had boards across it. The kids ran across that, because, apparently we were stupid and it was supposed to prove how daring you were. Mom, being an RN, made that the very first thing that got changed and a septic tank was put in.
As an American, I love anything on this channel that involves Tony. He's so engaging and makes learning history fun and interesting, even the most tragic things of the past.
I've always wondered what the derivation of night soil was...Think I saw the term 20-30 years ago in a Stephen king book. Now my soul can finally be at rest. 😐
- Well, what we’re talking about in, erm, privy terms is the very latest in front-wall, fresh-air orifices, combined with a wide-capacity gutter installation below. - You mean you crap out of the window. - Yes!
When my fil was a young man, he was a honey dipper -- he cleaned outhouses. He said he could take two baths and still not be able to get rid of the smell on him. I'm glad he was done with that by the time I met my husband!
I'm here, about to finish breakfast, sitting down to watch a show about some sort of farmer, but it seems I fate has an ulterior plan. At least I get to enjoy Baldrick's antics
My husband works at a factory that makes paper and sells the leftover byproducts to other factories for things like makeup and stuff. It smells so bad that, if you're from around here, we have a couple sayings... First, if we go outside and we can smell the factory - despite being 20+ miles away, we know it's going to rain. It's also the best paying job around here BY FAR! Well, blue collar job anyway. Doctors, attorneys, even some realtors might make more, but the point is, they pay very well. Almost everyone wants to get hired on there. So whenever anyone compoains about the smell, someone always replies, "Smells like money to me!" It's awful though! 😂 It smells like a septic tank after boiled egg night... 🤢🤮 And I have vomited just driving past it before. Many people do. My Husband said he doesn't actually smell it INside the factory though. 🤷🏼♀️ But he sure smells like it when he gets home. And I can smell it here at home when its about to rain. 😂😊
Wow. Tony Robinson, I haven't seen him since the old Blackadder days. I'm happy to see him doing well, he definitely found the right spot as the series narrator.
Omg I wouldn't survive if I had to use a community "toilet" w the whole village. I would be too embarrassed. Imagine you're in there going ... not pee and the guy you've been talking to or that you like starts knocking
In many communal toilets there would be no knocking as they were multi seaters. Usually 3 holes on 1 bench and your crush might just have to set beside you.
There was a lesson there to not put off repairs! That was procrastination the had deadly consequences! (I wish I had known that story to relay to my husband who thought repairs would do themselves.)
I enjoyed this a lot. I could imagine being in that age. This guy uses the right amount of humor and with the look of Gargamel (Smurfs) it's quite entertaining. Worth a history class in school - and the duration also fits.
I will always come back for Tony vids, as an American, I wish we had someone like Tony on the history channel growing up (when it used to be about history lol)
You Brit’s I love your expressions! The various names describing poo, “ affluent” or effluent? “ “mid-evil poo never looses its shine” and so much more….💋
The job of "hole man" still exists today. I know because as a teenager it was my job. I literally got paid by the bucket load and made good money doing it. You see, even modern sewer systems have a chamber that captures "grit" that needs cleaned out by hand from time to time.
Today we have our rural septic systems or holding tanks pumped. Used on fields I guess. One company is called "Fragrant", with a skunk and another one says. " I take everyone 's s**t. The whole neighborhood smells while they are pumping it.
That reminds me of a joke I first heard back during the Persian Gulf War: What is the difference between a U.S. pilot and an Iraqi pilot? It's all in the takeoff; a U.S. pilot breaks ground and flies into the wind. You can guess what an Iraqi pilot does..........
I like this guy but he tells the story of Joan of Leeds as a man would. He says, what amazes me is that so many nuns stayed in the convent, which "maybe" shows that there weren't many options available. Let's think about that for a moment.
A convent seems like a potentially appealing alternative to an arranged marriage, tedious chores, no rights, dangers of childbirth, and infant mortality.
Spending your life in a virtual prison; denied even the modest pleasures of having your hair dressed, wearing nice clothes, going dancing, or playing with your own child; eating bland food; waking in the wee hours every night to recite prayers; and sleeping on the floor.
@@kevinbyrne4538 bold of you to assume that she had hair to dress - nuns often had shorn heads in the early Benedictine orders. Because keeping long hair was considered not only expensive, but vain.
I'm pretty sure there were fines and punishments that came with dumping your excrement in improper areas such as the street. These people didn't have the mental capacity of children.
I remmember as a childe used it in the mountains villages of NorthEast Turkey,in some parts its still used. All it whent to the fields behinde the farmers Houses. Man it was An adventure as a littleboy dropping down below seeing Fall down four meter down in to the field.
I wished some one Would do a documentary on Winifred Wells, (Romani Gypsy Woman) her involvement with the Stewart Court, as the king's mistress, resulting in the beginning of the new Forest gypsies of England!
Eventually, the industries that encompassed TEXTILES joined forces and paid dues for the TEXTILE WORKERS UNION - which became powerful and had total control over everything related to Textiles and Clothing. Then cheaper labor costs without the safety regulations and child labor laws became available to the Textile Business owners in ASIA, SOUTH - CENTRAL AMERICA, and other third-world nations. That alone caused the downfall of the unions, caused loss of skilled laborers, layoffs ensued and Textile companies went out of business in the developed western countries. My Paternal Great-Great-Grandmother was a traveling tailor and dressmaker in Germany who went house to house to make fine dresses for the rich and affluent.
The nuns have a place to stay out of the weather, a bed and food and a life. They might have it worse having kids and a family struggling to survive, or not
2:52 notice how the inverted piece of tree is used at the corner of the building, along with the vertical post behind it. That’s the strongest bit of any tree!
Look up manure lagoons they're essentially the same thing as the cesspits. A large, but otherwise shallow, basin in the ground that's filled to the brim with feces...what could go wrong? Them overflowing is a common occurrence, so I'm sure they do wonders for the surrounding environment.
@Ajin is Underrated. I'll tell you what it does to the surrounding environment, It makes the grass grow thicker, faster and taller. When you cut the hay off of it you do far better than a typical field. I know this because I grew up near a hog (pond) and a cattle pasture. We got FAR better yield from around the pond.
