Yes, there were 'knockers up' or 'knocker uppers' in the mill towns.How about the genuine job title ..... "Knockeruppers Knockerupper" .......
People often had to start work very early in the morning, in the winter always in the dark. Few people owned alarm clocks so the Knockerupper went around with a long pole literally knocking on the bedroom windows to get them to work on time.
The Knockerupper obviously slept during the day so needed someone to wake him in time to do his job ….. hence the Knockeruppers Knockerupper was born.
That was the usual style, but this woman used a pea-shooter
not to be confused with the sagger-maker's bottom-knocker,hence the Knockeruppers Knockerupper was born.
that was a job in the Potteries
(testing the bases of the trays that held pots in the kiln)