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Thomas Crapper
View on Wikipediafrom Wikipedia
Thomas Crapper (baptised 28 September 1836; died 27 January 1910) was an English plumber and businessman. He founded Thomas Crapper & Co in London, a plumbing equipment company. His notability with regard to toilets has often been overstated, mostly due to the publication in 1969 of a tongue-in-cheek biography[2] by New Zealand satirist Wallace Reyburn.[3]
Key Information
Crapper held nine patents, three of them for water closet improvements such as the floating ballcock. He improved the S-bend plumbing trap in 1880 by inventing the U-bend. The firm's lavatorial equipment was manufactured at premises in nearby Marlborough Road (now Draycott Avenue). The company owned the world's first bath, toilet and sink showroom in King's Road. Crapper was noted for the quality of his products and received several royal warrants.
Manhole covers with Crapper's company's name on them in Westminster Abbey have become one of London's minor tourist attractions.[4][5]
Life
[edit]Thomas Crapper was born in Thorne, West Riding of Yorkshire, in 1836; the exact date is unknown, but he was baptised on 28 September 1836. His father, Charles, was a sailor. In 1853, he was apprenticed to his brother George, a master plumber in Chelsea, and thereafter spent three years as a journeyman plumber.
In 1861 Crapper set himself up as a sanitary engineer with his own brass foundry and workshops in nearby Marlborough Road.[1]
In the 1880s Prince Albert (later Edward VII) purchased his country seat of Sandringham House in Norfolk and asked Thomas Crapper & Co. to supply the plumbing, including thirty lavatories with cedarwood seats and enclosures, thus giving Crapper his first Royal Warrant. The firm received further warrants from Edward as king and from George V, both as Prince of Wales and as king.
In 1904 Crapper retired, passing the firm to his nephew George and his business partner Robert Marr Wharam. Crapper lived at 12 Thornsett Road, Anerley, for the last six years of his life and died on 27 January 1910. He was buried in the nearby Elmers End Cemetery.[1]
Posthumous fate of the Crapper company
[edit]In 1966 the Crapper company was sold by then-owner Robert G. Wharam (son of Robert Marr Wharam) upon his retirement to its rival John Bolding & Sons. Bolding went into liquidation in 1969. The company fell out of use until it was acquired by Simon Kirby, a historian and collector of antique bathroom fittings, who relaunched the company in Stratford-upon-Avon, producing authentic reproductions of Crapper's original Victorian bathroom fittings.[6]
Achievements
[edit]
As the first man to set up public showrooms for displaying sanitary ware, Crapper became known as an advocate of sanitary plumbing, popularising the notion of installation inside people's homes. He also helped refine and develop improvements to existing plumbing and sanitary fittings. As a part of his business he maintained a foundry and metal shop, which enabled him to try out new designs and develop more efficient plumbing solutions.[7]
Crapper improved the S-bend trap in 1880. The new U-bend plumbing trap was a significant improvement on the "S" as it could not jam, and unlike the S-bend, it did not have a tendency to dry out and did not need an overflow.[8] The BBC nominated the S-bend as one of the 50 Things That (have) Made the Modern Economy.[9]
Crapper held nine patents, three of them for water closet improvements such as the floating ballcock, but none for the flush toilet itself.[10]
Crapper's advertisements implied the siphonic flush was his invention. One such advertisement read, "Crapper's Valveless Water Waste Preventer (Patent #4,990) One movable part only", even though patent 4,990 (for a minor improvement to the water waste preventer) was not his, but that of Albert Giblin in 1898.[11][12] However, Crapper's nephew, George, did improve the siphon mechanism by which the water flow starts. A patent for this development was awarded in 1897.[13]
Origin of the word "crap"
[edit]It has often been claimed in popular culture that the vulgar slang term for human bodily waste, crap, originated with Thomas Crapper because of his association with lavatories. A common version of this story is that American servicemen stationed in England during World War I saw his name on cisterns and used it as Army slang, i.e., "I'm going to the crapper".[14]
The word crap is actually of Middle English origin and predates its application to bodily waste. Its most likely etymological origin is a combination of two older words: the Dutch krappen (to pluck off, cut off, or separate) and the Old French crappe (siftings, waste or rejected matter, from the medieval Latin crappa).[14] In English, it was used to refer to chaff and also to weeds or other rubbish. Its first recorded application to bodily waste, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, appeared in 1846, 10 years after Crapper was born, under a reference to a crapping ken, or a privy, where ken means a house.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c McConnell, Anita (2004). "Crapper, Thomas (1837–1910)". Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/55389. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2008. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ Reyburn, Wallace (2010). Flushed with pride: the story of Thomas Crapper (2nd ed.). Clifton-upon-Teme: Polperro Heritage. ISBN 978-0-9559541-5-3.
- ^ Eschner, Kat (28 September 2017). "Three True Things About Sanitary Engineer Thomas Crapper". Smithsonian. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ Goddard, Donald (26 May 1985), "Group Walks Gain Ground in London", The New York Times, archived from the original on 25 January 2022, retrieved 2 March 2009
- ^ Thomas Crapper history, Westminster Abbey, Sandringham, Thomas Crapper & Co., 24 January 2004, archived from the original on 11 December 2008, retrieved 2 February 2009
- ^ Hume, Robert (2010), "Thomas Crapper: Lavatory Legend", BBC History Magazine, Stone Publishing House, ISBN 978-0-9549909-3-0
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)[page needed] - ^ "When Did Thomas Crapper Die?". biography.yourdictionary.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "Difference between U, P, and S Traps explained". differencebetween.info. 20 January 2017. Archived from the original on 11 September 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy: S-Bend BBC
- ^ "Thomas Crapper: Myth & Reality". theplumber.com. June 1993. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ Hart-Davis, Adam, Thomas Crapper – Fact and fiction, ExNet, archived from the original on 18 January 2020, retrieved 13 May 2010
- ^ GB 189804990, Giblin, Albert, "Improvements in Flushing Cisterns", published 1 March 1898, issued 9 April 1898
- ^ GB 189700724, Crapper, George & Wharam, Robert Marr, "Improvements in or relating to Automatic Syphon Flushing Tanks", published 11 January 1897, issued 6 March 1897
- ^ a b c World Wide Words, archived from the original on 7 April 2010, retrieved 11 April 2010
Further reading
[edit]- Hart-Davis, Adam (1997). Thunder, Flush and Thomas Crapper: An Encyclopedia. Michael O'Mara Books. ISBN 1-85479-250-4.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thomas Crapper.
Look up crap in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
- Thomas Crapper at Snopes.com
- Thomas Crapper & Co. Ltd. – the plumbing company founded by Thomas Crapper
- Thomas Crapper Water Closet Products Advertisement
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Thomas Crapper
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Thomas Crapper (1836–1910) was an English sanitary engineer and plumber best known for his contributions to Victorian-era plumbing and sanitation, including founding the firm Thomas Crapper & Co. in London and popularizing high-quality bathroom fittings, though he did not invent the flush toilet.[1][2]
Born in Thorne, Yorkshire, Crapper apprenticed as a plumber from a young age before establishing his business in 1861, quickly earning a reputation for excellence in sanitary engineering.[3][2] That same year, he was commissioned by Prince Edward (later King Edward VII) to install lavatories in several royal residences, leading to multiple royal warrants for his company and solidifying his status among Britain's elite.[2]
Crapper held nine patents between 1881 and 1896 for innovations in plumbing, including improvements to water closets, drains, the S-bend trap to prevent sewer gases, ballcocks, manhole covers, and pipe joints, which enhanced the efficiency and hygiene of indoor sanitation systems.[1][4] His most notable business innovation was opening the world's first bathroom showroom in 1866 at his Marlborough Road premises in Chelsea, allowing customers to view and select sanitary ware in a dedicated retail setting, which helped normalize and glamorize modern plumbing during an era of rapid urbanization and public health reforms.[3][2][1]
Despite persistent myths—fueled by his fortuitously named company and amplified in 20th-century books like Wallace Reyburn's satirical Flushed with Pride (1969)—Crapper did not create the flush toilet, a device first conceptualized by Sir John Harington in 1596 and refined by others like Alexander Cummings in 1775; instead, his work focused on practical advancements and widespread adoption of existing technologies.[2][1] After his death from bowel cancer in 1910, his company continued under family management until 1966, when it was sold to John Bolding & Sons, preserving his legacy in British plumbing history.[1][5]
Biography
Early Life
Thomas Crapper was baptised on 28 September 1836 in Thorne, Yorkshire, England (exact birth date unknown), the son of Charles Crapper and Sarah (née Green); he was one of eight children in the family.[6][7][1] His father worked as a steamboat captain on the River Don, which exposed Crapper from a young age to mechanical operations through the family's involvement in local shipping and packet services.[1] Crapper attended Brooke’s Trust School in Thorne until at least age 14 and, as was common for children from modest Victorian working-class backgrounds, entered the workforce early to learn a practical trade.[1] In 1853, at age 17, Crapper relocated to London to pursue opportunities in the expanding sanitation sector, motivated by the era's severe urban health crises—including recurrent cholera epidemics and overcrowding in rapidly growing cities—that underscored the urgent demand for improved plumbing infrastructure.[1]Professional Career
Thomas Crapper began his professional career in London in 1853 at the age of 17, apprenticed to his brother George Crapper, a master plumber based in Chelsea.[1] This apprenticeship provided him with foundational skills in plumbing during a period when urban sanitation was becoming a critical public health issue in rapidly growing Victorian cities.[8] Following the completion of his apprenticeship around 1856, Crapper worked as a journeyman plumber for several years, honing his expertise in the installation and maintenance of water closets and early sanitation systems.[1] His work focused on practical improvements to plumbing fixtures, contributing to the evolving standards of hygiene in residential and commercial settings amid London's cholera outbreaks and reform efforts.[3] In 1860, Crapper married his cousin Maria Green in Chelsea, establishing a family life that intertwined with his professional endeavors.[1] The couple welcomed their first child, son John Green Crapper, in 1862, though he tragically died the following year at just one year old, a common fate reflecting the era's high infant mortality rates.[1] They went on to have additional children, building a household amid the challenges of Victorian family life.[8] During his journeyman years, Crapper developed a reputation for reliable and innovative plumbing work, which laid the groundwork for future high-profile commissions among the British nobility.[9] This expertise culminated in notable installations, such as those at Queen Victoria's Osborne House in 1866, showcasing his skill in sanitary engineering for elite clients.[9]Business and Innovations
Founding of Thomas Crapper & Co.
Thomas Crapper founded Thomas Crapper & Co. in 1861 (though some historical accounts cite 1866 as the establishment year) as a sanitary engineering firm in Chelsea, London, initially operating from Robert Street in Chelsea.[5][10] Drawing briefly from his prior apprenticeship in plumbing since age 14, Crapper positioned the business to address the growing demand for improved sanitation amid Victorian London's public health challenges.[11] The firm specialized in the manufacturing and installation of essential plumbing fixtures, including water closets, baths, and lavatories, emphasizing durable construction and reliable performance to meet emerging standards for hygiene and convenience.[10] From its inception, the company adopted a business model centered on bespoke installations and high-quality craftsmanship, sourcing materials like porcelain for sanitary ware to ensure aesthetic and functional excellence.[12] Operations began modestly with a focus on local contracts but expanded through word-of-mouth reputation, as Crapper's attention to detail set the firm apart in a competitive field of plumbers and engineers. By the mid-1860s, the business had relocated to larger premises at Marlborough Works on Marlborough Road (now Draycott Avenue), allowing for increased production capacity and the establishment of dedicated workshops.[5] The early growth of Thomas Crapper & Co. was marked by securing prestigious contracts that underscored its reliability for elite clientele. High-profile projects included installations for embassies and royal residences, such as work for the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) in the 1860s, which helped elevate the firm's status and led to its first Royal Warrant in the 1880s.[1][11] These commissions not only provided financial stability during the founding phase but also served as endorsements, driving further business in the 1870s through referrals among London's affluent and diplomatic circles.[13]Key Inventions and Patents
Thomas Crapper held nine patents related to plumbing and sanitation between 1881 and 1896, focusing on improvements to water closets, drains, and related fixtures.[14] One of his key contributions was the U-bend trap, patented in 1880, which enhanced flush efficiency by creating a more reliable water seal to prevent sewer gases from entering buildings while improving drainage flow compared to the earlier S-bend design.[15] This innovation addressed common issues with odor leakage and incomplete flushing in Victorian-era plumbing systems.[16] In 1882, Crapper patented an automatic flushing cistern, which enabled consistent water flow through a pull-chain mechanism, reducing manual effort and ensuring reliable operation even with varying water pressures.[17] This device was part of his efforts to standardize sanitary flushing, making it more accessible for residential and public installations. Crapper also patented improvements to the ballcock mechanism in 1884, refining the floating valve system to better regulate water levels in cisterns and prevent overflows, a design element still in use today.[15] Additionally, he developed waste-preventing devices, such as siphon-based systems to minimize water usage, though he often advertised features like the "valveless water-waste preventer" without holding the original patent for them.[14] While not the inventor of the flush toilet—credit for early designs goes to figures like Alexander Cumming, who patented the S-shaped trap in 1775—Crapper played a significant role in popularizing S-shaped traps and vitreous china toilets through his manufacturing and installation work. His company served as a key platform for implementing these technologies, supplying high-quality fixtures to notable sites including Westminster Abbey.[3]Company Legacy
Operations and Expansion
Thomas Crapper & Co experienced significant growth during the late 19th century, expanding its facilities and showrooms across London to meet the rising demand for modern sanitary engineering. Founded in 1861, the company established its Marlborough Works at 50-54 Marlborough Road (now Draycott Avenue) in Chelsea by 1866 for manufacturing. The firm opened the world's first dedicated bathroom showroom in 1882 at its premises on King's Road in Chelsea, allowing customers to view and select toilets, basins, and other fittings, revolutionizing the sale of plumbing ware. In the early 1870s, the firm further expanded by opening a second showroom at 120 King's Road in Chelsea, enhancing its commercial presence in the heart of the city. These developments positioned Thomas Crapper & Co as a leader in the burgeoning field of indoor sanitation.[1] The company's operations scaled accordingly, incorporating a brass foundry and workshops to produce high-quality water closets and related equipment, though specific production volumes from the era remain undocumented in primary records. While exact workforce figures are not recorded, the enterprise grew to support a robust manufacturing and installation service, reflecting the era's emphasis on quality craftsmanship. Exports to the United States and Europe contributed to its international reach, driven by the global adoption of improved plumbing systems following 19th-century cholera epidemics that prompted widespread sanitation reforms in urban areas like London.[18] Notable installations underscored the firm's prestige, including lavatories supplied to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, as well as work on the drains at Westminster Abbey and the Royal Horticultural Society's gardens. These high-profile projects integrated Crapper's patented improvements, such as the U-bend trap, into prestigious settings.[1][3] By 1904, amid continued advancements in public health standards spurred by earlier cholera outbreaks, Thomas Crapper retired and handed the business to his nephew George Crapper and partner Robert Marr Wharam. This transition marked the end of his direct involvement, allowing the company to build on its established reputation in an industry transformed by the need for reliable sanitation infrastructure.[1]Posthumous Decline and Revival
Thomas Crapper died on 27 January 1910 at the age of 73 from bowel cancer.[1] He was buried in Beckenham Cemetery (also known as Elmers End Cemetery) in Beckenham, London Borough of Bromley.[19] Following Crapper's death, Thomas Crapper & Co. continued operations under the management of his nephew George Crapper and other family associates, maintaining the firm's premises at 120 King's Road in Chelsea.[20] The company persisted for over half a century, producing sanitary ware amid growing competition from mass-produced modern plumbing manufacturers that favored streamlined designs and cost efficiencies over traditional craftsmanship.[21] In 1966, the business was sold by owner Robert G. Wharam upon his retirement to rival firm John Bolding & Sons, leading to the retirement of the Thomas Crapper name and the closure of the original showroom, which had become outdated in the post-war era of industrialized production. Bolding & Sons went into liquidation in 1969.[22] The company's legacy experienced a revival in the late 20th century through renewed interest in Victorian-era sanitary engineering, with the brand re-established in 1998 in Stratford-upon-Avon to manufacture authentic reproductions of Crapper's original designs, including ornate cisterns and basins. In 2016, it was acquired by Hartford Holdings, a Yorkshire-based bathroom manufacturer, integrating the brand into contemporary production while preserving its heritage focus.[23] These replicas, emphasizing high-quality brassware and period aesthetics, catered to heritage renovations and luxury markets, preserving the firm's reputation for innovation in plumbing mechanics. Artifacts from the original company, such as floral-decorated WC pans, cast-iron baths, and brass taps, have been featured in museum exhibits, including at the Driehaus Museum in Chicago, where restored Crapper toilets highlight 19th-century opulence in public restrooms, and at the Gladstone Pottery Museum in Stoke-on-Trent, which displays them in hygiene history installations.[24] In 2024, a significant collection of over 200 Thomas Crapper items from a former company museum, including rare prototypes and ornate fixtures, was auctioned, underscoring ongoing preservation efforts amid building renovations.[25] Modern recognition of Crapper's contributions includes a blue plaque erected by the London Borough of Bromley at his former residence, 12 Thornsett Road in Anerley, commemorating him as an engineer and developer of the controlled-flow cistern.[26] Recent discoveries of original Crapper fixtures during 2020s property renovations, such as restored vintage cisterns in historic UK homes, have further highlighted the durability and cultural value of his designs, often featured in heritage restoration projects.[27]Myths and Cultural Impact
Etymology of "Crap"
The word "crap" derives from Middle English crappe, referring to chaff, siftings, or residue from rendered animal fat, with the earliest known printed use appearing in a 1440 manuscript as a term for scraps or leavings.[28][29] This sense evolved from earlier roots possibly in Old French crappe (chaff) or Dutch krappe (dregs from beer or fat), and the word remained in use for worthless residues or rubbish through the centuries.[30][31] By the 19th century, "crap" entered vulgar slang in English to mean excrement or the act of defecation, with the verb sense first attested around 1846 and the noun for feces by 1898; this usage predates any association with plumbing by over a century.[28][32] In American English, the term gained further traction through the gambling game "craps," which emerged in the early 1800s from the dice throw "crabs" (rolling two ones, symbolizing the lowest or worst outcome), but this etymology is unrelated to bodily waste or sanitation. The slang for feces thus originated independently in British dialect before spreading to American usage, with no linguistic evidence connecting it to sanitary engineering.[31] Despite the coincidental similarity in names, there is no historical or etymological link between the word "crap" and the plumber Thomas Crapper (1836–1910); the vulgar slang was already established before his birth.[3][14] The myth associating the two likely arose from 20th-century humor, gaining widespread popularity through American soldiers' exposure to British toilets bearing Crapper's name markings during World War I, and was further amplified by satirical works such as Wallace Reyburn's 1969 book Flushed with Pride: The Story of Thomas Crapper, which blended fact and fiction to poke fun at Victorian sanitation history.[33][34] Linguists trace the surname "Crapper" to a northern English variant of "Cropper," an occupational name from the 13th century for a crop harvester or tenant farmer who paid rent in harvested produce, derived from Old English cropp (bunch or cluster, as in a crop of plants); this has no relation to creaking sounds or excrement.[35][36] The superficial phonetic resemblance between the surname and the slang term is purely coincidental, underscoring how folk etymology often fabricates connections based on humor rather than evidence.[37]Depictions in Media and Folklore
Thomas Crapper's name and associated myths have been perpetuated in popular culture through a mix of humor, satire, and historical anecdote, often exaggerating his role in plumbing innovation. Wallace Reyburn's 1969 book Flushed with Pride: The Story of Thomas Crapper played a significant role in this, presenting a spoof biography filled with puns and fabricated details that blended verifiable facts about Crapper's business with fictional elements, such as claiming he invented the flush toilet centuries after its actual origins.[1] This work became a bestseller and influenced subsequent narratives, embedding Crapper in folklore as a quirky Victorian icon despite its satirical intent.[1] In media, Crapper appears in comedic contexts that play on his surname and purported inventions. For instance, in the Monty Python sketch from Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), a character named "Crapper" is listed among the inhabitants of Castle Anthrax, serving as a punning nod to toilet humor without direct historical reference.[38] Similarly, in the Simpsons Comics story "Sense and Censorability" from issue #39 (2000), Bart Simpson references "Thomas J. Crapper" as the inventor of the toilet during a school presentation on censorship, highlighting the enduring myth in animated satire.[39] Plumbing trade publications and jokes frequently invoke Crapper's name for lighthearted wordplay, such as calling toilets "crappers," which reinforces his cultural association with sanitation even among professionals.[40] Crapper's story holds a prominent place in folklore, particularly in discussions of sanitation history, where he is often cited as a pioneer despite clarifications of myths in academic talks and public lectures. In the 21st century, this has extended to digital media, with viral TikTok videos in the 2020s debunking or amplifying tales of his inventions, garnering millions of views through humorous reenactments and fact-checks. Podcasts have further popularized these narratives; for example, the 15-Minute History episode "Thomas Crapper: A Brief History of Plumbing" (2021) explores his contributions while addressing misconceptions, contributing to his status as a folkloric figure in hygiene education.[41] Mike Rowe's The Way I Heard It podcast (2022) also dedicates an episode to Crapper's birthday, blending storytelling with historical correction to engage listeners on sanitation's unsung heroes.[42] Despite the humorous myths, Crapper's positive legacy is recognized in the plumbing industry. In 1988, British authorities established the Thomas Crapper Award to honor the cleanest public toilets in England, acknowledging his advancements in sanitary engineering.[43] His original showroom at 120 King's Road in Chelsea, London, is Grade II listed and recognized for its historical significance in Victorian plumbing.[44]References
- https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/crapper