Following that train of thought back one can go all the way to the Roman Empire which used slaves as proto machines as you call them.
>As a funny personal note: one of my ancestors actually had the last name (Polish budzik) translated as “alarm clock,” which I assume means they had a similar sort of job as knocker uppers. I couldn’t find any equivalent last names in English though.
Surnames are funny, I always thought we had a cool one, but apparently it just means someone that lives next to a hedge.
>As a funny personal note: one of my ancestors actually had the last name (Polish budzik) translated as “alarm clock,” which I assume means they had a similar sort of job as knocker uppers. I couldn’t find any equivalent last names in English though.
Surnames are funny, I always thought we had a cool one, but apparently it just means someone that lives next to a hedge.