The Revelations of a Rat Catcher

Ike Matthews was a professional rat catcher who worked in Manchester, and who published a book distilling his 25 years in the trade in 1898. It’s become available online and is an interesting read. I probably need to pick up a few tips in order to keep a proper eye on the outhouses, although I’m relieved to say that so far we just seem to have the occasional mouse appear in the traps.

 

I note that Ike recommends keeping ferrets. I do hope it won’t come to that. I don’t want to end my days being the crazy old man in the pub who puts ferrets down his trousers as his party piece.