Invented by: Mr. Thomas Twyford

Information: There were many different designs of toilets throughout history, in fact the godson of Queen Elizabeth 1st had a go at making one, but was ridiculed so much that he gave up. The very first flushing toilet could possibly be one of 3 or 4 designers. They were being designed both here and in America, but it was something that most people did not want. They would much rather keep all their 'waste' outside, rather than in their houses.

The master toilet maker among the Englishmen was Thomas Twyford. He was born in 1840. In 1885 when he built the first toilet modern looking in a one-piece, all china design. He was a potter rather than a plumber and had competition from other notable business including Wedgwood and Moulton. Both of these companies still make china dishes today.

Twyford's design was unique in that it was of china, rather than the more common metal and wood contraptions. The internal workings of his water closet were the work of one the first pioneers of the "sanitary science." J. G. Jennings patented a washout closet (w.c.) in 1852. This unit had a shallow basin with a dished tray and water seal. The flush water drove the contents into the pan and then through the S-trap. It was a design the Twyford would try to improve on for the rest of the decade.

Victorians Inventions Page