Granny Cousins (1837 – 1927) was Poole's last knocker-upper, working from 1901 to 1918.
Most of Poole's factory workers began work at 6am, and she charged 3p a week to wake up workers by tapping on their bedroom windows. She carried a lantern, a long pole to tap the windows with, and a whistle to blow if anyone assaulted her. Her rounds took her from the quay to the gas works.
Mrs. Bowers began knocking up during WW1 in Sacriston (Durham). She woke every morning at 1am to wake the miners for their early shift, accompanied by her dog Jack.
Mary Smith was a well-known knocker-up in East London, charging 6p a week, using a pea-shooter to wake her clients up! Her daughter, also called Mary, followed her into the job, and was one of the last knocker-ups in London.
