During the 19th century, domestic life was very difficult indeed, and particularly so for the poor laundry workers in the BIG HOUSE at the time. They had the unenviable task of cleaning the “chamber pots” of their wealthy employers!! Apparently nothing was wasted at that time, and we thought we had invented the word “recycle”!! Not so! They were experts at recycling back then. Even the contents of the chamber pot were recycled! Not a pretty thought! The “liquid” content was very useful indeed, as due to the presence of “ammonia” this was reused in the laundry room to bleach the bed sheets! No more “50 Shades of Grey” for the occupants of the big house back then! Brings a whole new meaning to it all! I am sure we all remember seeing the chamber pot under the bed in our grandparents’ house at one time or another, I know I certainly do. This is just another fascinating insight into the lives of our ancestors, and genealogy can really provide an indepth insight into how our ancestors lived and worked and the difficulties they faced every day!