Who invented the toilet?
Sep 14, 2009
Who invented one of the most useful devices known to mankind?
While Thomas Crapper is commonly given credit for inventing the first flushing toilet in the late 1800s, the first version can actually be traced back to 1596. At this time, a British nobleman, Sir John Harrington, first engineered and invented a valve that could release water from the water closet (WC) when pulled. Sir Harrington, who was also the godson of Queen Elizabeth I, recommended pulling the valve (“flushing” the toilet) once a day for sanitary purposes.
So if Thomas Crapper didn’t invent the toilet, why is he given credit?
Three centuries after Sir Harrington’s invention, Crapper had a successful career in the plumbing industry and did earn nine patents for plumbing products in England. Unfortunately, none of those nine patents granted between 1861-1904 were for the flushing toilet.
While he did not invent the toilet, Crapper still has a close connection to the first patent for the toilet. Albert Gilblin, an employee of Crapper, holds the 1819 British Patent for a “Silent Valveless Water Waste Preventer”. This device was a system which allowed a toilet to flush effectively. Crapper later purchased the rights for this patent from his employee and marketed the device.
So even though he didn’t invent the crapper himself, we still owe a big thank you to Crapper for helping bring the product to the masses and also to the Chinese for inventing toilet paper in 50 B.C.
THNKS 4 INVENTING THE TOILET Mr.CRAPPER
wow i can’t believe that name!!!
thnx mr.crapper i love my toilet!!! it has a very soft toilet seat!!
o wow if there wasnt a toilet i would have to go on the ground
I LOVE TOILETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOLY CRAP CRAAPPER THTS THE BEST THING WE COULD EVER USE THANKS CRRRRRAAAAAPPPPPEEEEEERRRRRRR
OMG, that is funny that his last name is that…i guess that is where we got the word from. ha. but that is really cool….i looked this up when we were looking up cool inventors…lol
funny stuff
crapper thats like crap funny name omg lol fm npd
im gl@d we have toliot 2daty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
now i know why it is called the crapper.
Mr. crapper. Will u marry me ????
Someone told me that crapper invented the toilet and someone else told me it wasnt true so i looked it up and i was half right.
I told my friends and they just laughed. im so glad that i was right. now i know why i could say crap in school. lol. i love the crapper (toilet) lol
OMG know i know why most people including me call the toilet a crapper, all because of mr. crapper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!HEY MR. CRAPPER GO CRAP IN UR CRAPPER!!!!!!!!!!
toilet rockss
toilet rockss oh ya boobooooo
THANKS SOOO MUCH THOMAS! U ARE MY HERO!
OMG GO TOILETS AROUND THE WORLD TOILET UNITE YAY MR.CRAP GUY
Mr. Crapper is a funny name!
Im not dead yet!!!!
MLIA brought me here
)
thank for the invention,pretty cool
thank for the invent, RIP MR.CRAPPER
OMG!
i didnt even think of it before reading this post that what would i have to do if there were no toilets lol….
probably i would have to go to the open grounds or in the fields hehe
-adil
THNX FOR THE TOILET IT IS VERY HELPFUL R.I.P AND WE THANK YOU
lol i would use a bucket and a shovel if there where no toilets
first of all it is john crapper secand that is were the word crap came from
Wow! Thinks for the toliet my dear friend called the crapper…oh look I have to go use it! Thanks the for real!
omg .. i would hate to have the lastname crapper.. BRITTANY CRAPPER! xD HA!
thanks mister CRAPPER! lololololololol hahahahah that name gets me every time!
erm…why is he given credit? Well you think about it? which one sounds more awesome? we say..oh im gonna o take a CRAP we dont say oh man i think i just herrington’d my pants, you know? it just works better
Thanx soo much 4 the answer to my question! My dad & I were talking about this & boy oh boy am I thankful for Mr. Crapper. He saved our lives! Lol
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha that is so silly ” Mr Crapper” rofl
HEY
LOVE THE NAME CRAPPER
THE TOILET IS THE BEST THING WE COULD EVER HAVE! WE HAVE YOUR NAME ALL OVER OUR HOUSE!
I AM GOING TO DO MY HISTORY TALK ON YOU!!
YOUR SO COOL!!
wowww i would hav neva thought toilets where so historic.. hahahahahahaha
who invented the outhouse then????
O so thats where crapper came from and i heard that at school and i wanted 2 see if it was true but THANKU MR CRAPPER I dont no what id do with out the ”crapper”
thats a funny name i dont need a toilet i have abackyard and a shovel
the toilet is a miricle if it wasn’t for crapper i would’ve been digging holes in the back yard.
what just a name like that i would be made fun of. i still do like the toilet.
THANK U FOR MY THRONE!!
Thank you Mr. John Crapper. You are a man of the ages.
Thomas ur work is good
Yo crapper <3 the name! the toilet is the best thing that ever happened to anyone in man kind!
I LOVE MY TOILET!!!!!
lololololololololololol
hey yo. mr. crapper thanks for the throne
Lolololololololololololol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks amillion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
is your last name Crapper cuz you invented the toilet?
hey mr. crapper thanks for the throne ours gets plugged up every once in a while but when my dad told me who invented the toylet i thought that it was invented by some person who was stupid!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AND YOU SIR ARE SMART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW ITS THE CRAP CRAPPER S***ER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG!that is halloreus:haha me and jess where lol at that photo we said”what is that?”
What is that it looks like a crapper with a little bit of crap and leafs mixed together but hhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaalllllllllrrrrrrrrroooooooouuuuusssssssss any way thats awsome
love je$$
hahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhah
I’m his biggest fan!! My real name is Thomas Crapper. It’s not a funny name..I’m quite use to it now.
Just Kidding!! My name is Keegan(- :
even though mr.crapper is a funny name doesnt mean it is ok for u to make fun of it
Nice work, Crapper!!!!!
XD
That name is just EPIC.
Simply Epic.
-Marx Devil
I have to wonder if the slang term “crapper” was coined after Mr. Crapper, and later “crap”. So although the toilet wasn’t named after Crapper, what we do in it, is named after him.
i have to do a social studies project on who invented the toilet. so i came here
love
caleigh b.
I can’t believe Mr.Crapper is taking all the credit. Please start saying “I have to take a Herrington”!
[...] For more information on Thomas Crapper, view our recent blog post. [...]
Glad we could help!
crapper is a very funny name hahahaha that name is so funny
hahaha omg its so funny lol
is the name crapper why you invented the toilet if it is it explains a lot
nice work thomas i realy love my toilet
thanks alot mr.crapper but why steal an invention thats not yours top claim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????????????????
ohmygod i could not live without my wonderful toilet!
im happy we don’t have to crap on the ground Mr.Crapper
thank for the invention,pretty cool,I have to do a social studies project on who invented the toilet. so i came here ,thank you sharing
That picture is the single most gross thing I have seen today. Ick. A toilet of some sort has been around for thousands of years, one with a flush though.. that’s a different story.
that toilet is all mest up. i could have invented a better one
you are soooooo awsome and your name is halarious!!!!!!!! LOL
Thomas CRAPPER is a funny name
thx mr. crapper. you made people have relief
did you read the article, it was sir John Harrington
NOT THOMAS CRAPPER.
THANKS CRAPPER IF IT WASN’T FOR ‘U’ THE BLACK PLAGUE WOULD STILL BE HERE.
THANK ‘U’!
is that where i need to take a crap came from?
billion kisses Mr. Crapper..
)
Very Exquisite
suits his name though. hahaha! CRAPPER!
jerk u stole my idea
If there weren’t any toilet? Oh crap! were would we put them…
hey;
im glad we have this toilet so i can use it when i eat something bad i can use it.
Yup this is true. This is why people say “I’m gonna use the crapper”…
Thank you Mr. Crapper
I just crapped on my crapper. Pizza poop.