So, who exactly was Thomas Crapper?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Little is known about Crapper\u2019s early life. According to accounts, he was born sometime in 1836 in Thorne, West Riding of Yorkshire. However, records show that he was baptized on September 28, 1836. At that time, it was common for English parishes to register babies\u2019 baptism dates instead of their birth dates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Crapper\u2019s father, a sailor, was named Charles. When he was 17, Crapper worked as an apprentice to his master plumber brother George. He spent three years as a journeyman plumber. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The fictitious biography of the plumber is even more exciting. According to the book, Flushed With Pride: The Story of Thomas Crapper<\/em><\/a>, he became a plumber at the young age of 11. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He reportedly walked from Yorkshire to London to become a plumber. The book also said that Crapper was a sanitary engineer who invented the modern toilet<\/a>. It specifically mentioned that he was the man who invented the flush toilet.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, the book was a satire that included a highly embellished biography of Crapper. He did go to London, specifically Chelsea, to become a plumber but started apprenticing for his older brother at the age of 17. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Crapper also didn\u2019t invent the modern toilet but he definitely contributed to making toilets better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From apprentice to journeyman plumber, Crapper eventually started his own company in 1861. He named it after him: Thomas Crapper & Co.\u2019s Specialties<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What were the products and services of the company?<\/p>\n\n\n\n His company was located on Marlborough Road in Chelsea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The pedestal wash-down closet caused contention among different water closet companies. The mechanism was purportedly invented by Crapper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The company, Original Bathrooms, disputed the claim by saying that it was Frederick Humpherson who invented it<\/a>. Humpherson was the son of the founder of Original Bathrooms. He also worked for Crapper before the family started its own water closet<\/a> business.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if Crapper didn\u2019t invent the pedestal wash-down closet, it\u2019s undeniable that he made a name for himself in the industry\u2014so much so that he received royal warrants for plumbing projects<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n To the uninformed, a royal warrant, formally known as the Royal Warrant of Appointment<\/a>, is a mark of recognition given to an individual or company that regularly supplies products and services to the royal household. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometime in the 1880s, then-Prince Albert and later King Edward VII, issued the royal warrant for Thomas Crapper & Co. to provide plumbing services and around 30 bathrooms for the Sandringham House<\/a>. The home is currently owned by King Charles but it was purchased for Prince Albert\/King Edward VII in 1862. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Royal warrants for Crapper\u2019s services continued during the reign of King George V or King Edward VII\u2019s son. The king issued more warrants for other royal household plumbing and sanitation projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n King George V\u2019s royal warrants were among the last projects that Crapper handled before retiring in 1904. Thomas Crapper & Co. was passed on to his nephew, George, and a business partner named Robert Marr Wharam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While many inventions were wrongly attributed to Crapper, he clearly made important contributions to toilets and sanitation. He held nine plumbing- and toilet-related patents<\/a>, including three water closet improvements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of these consisted of a floating ballcock, a system for filling water tanks to prevent backflow and overflow. Crapper also invented the U-bend plumbing trap in 1880 as a way to improve the older S-bend version.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thomas Crapper & Co. reportedly opened the first bathroom showroom in 1870. It was a success as people got a glimpse of mass-market modern toilets which made them more affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many toilets carry the Thomas Crapper & Co. name and logo so it\u2019s no wonder that the British sometimes refer to the toilet as the crapper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In recognition of his contributions to toilet and sanitation, the Inventors Digest <\/em>designated January 27, 1910, as Thomas Crapper Day. It was the day he died. He was buried in Elmers End Cemetery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thomas Crapper & Co. also manufactured manhole covers. Interestingly, some manhole covers<\/a> around Westminster Abbey have become tourist attractions because of Crapper\u2019s history. The manhole covers serve as reminders of how Crapper improved and modernized the plumbing<\/a> of the ancient building.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Thomas_Crapper-1024x1022.jpg\")
Portrait of Thomas Crapper, popularizer of the flush toilet, 19th century<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThomas Crapper\u2019s Early Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A Self-Made Man<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Royal Warrant for Bathrooms<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Contributions To Plumbing and Sanitation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Does Thomas Crapper & Co. Still Exist?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n