HISTORY OF THE TOILET

Have you ever wondered who the inventor of the toilet is? There weren’t
always toilets as we know them today. Before the invention of the loo
humans used a hole in the ground, potties and chamber pots! Complete the
activities in this pack to find out more.

Task 1:
Cut out the pictures below and the descriptions on the next page. See if you can
match the descriptions with the pictures
The wrong end of the stick! The Late 1700 – 1800
Romans came to the UK about By the 17th century people
2000 years ago and built public living in towns and cities had
toilets called a deep pit for burying waste in
Latrines. There was no toilet called a cess pit in their
paper, so they used communal garden. The sewage was
sponge on a stick, which were collected at night by Night Soil
kept in a bucket of water after Men who took the stuff away in
every use. large carts and buried it out-
side the city walls.

1858 The Big Stink

17th Century Often a whole street would share
The best seat in the land by far a privy or an outside loo. These
was The Royal Loo. would could not cope with all the
Henry VIII had a special toilet waste and would often overflow
made called a Closed –Stool. into the streets and rivers. In
The king also had a special 1885 a heatwave caused The Big
person called a Groom of the Stink. The government paid an
Stool whose job it was to wipe engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette
Henry’s bum and empty the to design and build a new sewer
potty inside the loo once he had system for London. Over 83 miles
been!! of wooden sewer pipes were laid.

After 1850s engineers

Gardez L’eau! developed ways of plumbing hot
In the early Middle Ages people running water into
used a potty kept under the bed houses. Wealthy people could
at night if they needed the loo. have bathrooms and toilets that
In the morning they would throw were plumbed in with a water
the contents of the potty out of supply. It took the poor another
the top window and shout 100 years for the privilege.
“Gardez L’eau” –Look out for 1928 the first roll of toilet paper
water to warn people below went on sale...and the rest is
walking past. history.
HISTORICAL EMPATHY
Historical empathy means that you put yourself in the shoes of somebody else and try to
understand how it would have felt to be them. Have a read of some of these
historical accounts and have a think how you would have felt if you lived in this time.
After all sharing a toilet with one thousand other
people couldn’t have been pleasant!

The Romans were extremely fussy about cleanliness. When they came to Britain nearly
2000 years ago, they found that the Celta didn’t have a way of getting rid of sewage, so
they built public toilets called LATRINES. These toilets were built over deep channels
and were flushed away with rainwater stored in large tanks. Latrines had wooden seats
which were long enough to sit 8 people on each side, so you could have a communal
poo!! Men and women would often go to the loo together but thankfully they had long
robes to hide their modesty! They used a sponge on a stick to wipe their bums and then
would rinse them out in the drain in front of them. A slave would pour water over
soldiers’ hands to clean them.
Task 2:
Write a diary account from the Romans point of view using the next page.
How would you have felt if you had to use a latrine?

ROMAN DIARY ACCOUNT

HISTORICAL EMPATHY
It wasn’t just the Romans who had different toilets from the one we’re used
to. I’ve given you some more information below so find a comfy spot and have
a read.

Sir Joseph Bazalgette build the new

sewer system in London. This helped
to reduce the numbers of people dying
from killer diseases related to the dirty
Thames water. Over 83 miles carried 420
million gallons of water every day. The
surface of the sewers inside was smooth
and sloped downwards to help the waste
water flush through more quickly.

By the 17th century Sewage and rubbish was

also collected at night from the cess pits by
Night Soil Men who took the stuff away in large
carts and buried it outside the city walls. They
did it at night as there were fewer smells and
flies around. The smell was so horrible that
there were many scary stories about people
dying mysteriously of the ‘night air’. Today we
know that the deadly killer was a mixture of
poisonous gases.

Task 3:
Have a chat with an adult about how you would feel if you were a Soil man or
Sir Joseph Bazalgette. Now try answering the questions below.
1. Imagine you’re a Night Soil Man – What could you do to help stop the smells making
you ill? ___________________________________________________________________
______ ___________________________________________________________________

2. Imagine you were Jo, what would you been most proud of?
________________________ _________________________________________________
________________________
CHRONILOGICAL ORDER
Chronology means in order of time. There were so many different types of
toilet in history. Can you help me put these events in chronological order?

Task 4:
Cut out the timeline and descriptions below and place them in chronological order.

1876 William Smith 50 BC Chinese people 1 777 Samuel Prosser

invented a jet siphon toilet invented toilet paper. invented a plunger closet.
for which he then got a
patent, so no one could
copy his idea without
paying him first.

1875 Two Americans 1391 the Chinese Emperor 1870 Randall Mann
James T Henry and commissioned for toilet invented a 3 pipe, siphonic
William paper sizes to be 1 metre closet for which he was
Campbell were granted long! granted a patent.
patents for their flushing
water closet inventions.

1596 Sir John Harrington,

a British nobleman.
1852 Edward Jenner 1778 Joe Brahma patented
Unfortunately, he was
patented the first wash the first toilet that featured
laughed at for his attempts
out closet that featured a a valve a bottom of the
and so never made
shallow toilet basin and toilet bowl.
another one. This is where
water seal.
“going to the Jon”
meaning go to the loo
comes from.

0BC 1300 1350 1400 1450 1500 1550 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900
ANSWERS
Task 1:

Late 1700 – 1800

By the 17th century people living in towns and cities had a deep pit for
burying waste in called a cess pit in their garden. The sewage was col-
lected at night by Night Soil Men who took the stuff away in large carts
and buried it outside the city walls.

17th Century
The best seat in the land by far was The Royal Loo. Henry VIII had a
special toilet made called a Closed –Stool. The king also had a special
person called a Groom of the Stool whose job it was to wipe Henry’s
bum and empty the potty inside the loo once he had been!!

The wrong end of the stick!

The Romans came to the UK about 2000 years ago and built public toi-
lets called Latrines. There was no toilet paper, so they used
communal sponge on a sticks, which were kept in a bucket of water
after every use.

Gardez L’eau!
In the early Middle Ages people used a potty kept under the bed at
night if they needed the loo. In the morning they would throw the
contents of the potty out of the top window and shout “Gardez L’eau” –
Look out for water to warn people below walking passed.

After 1850s engineers developed ways of plumbing hot running water

into houses. Wealthy people could have bathrooms and toilets that
were plumbed in with a water supply. It took the poor another 100
years for the privilege.
1928 the first roll of toilet paper went on sale...and the rest is history.

1858 The Big Stink

Often a whole street would share a privy or an outside loo. These would
could not cope with all the waste and would often overflow into the
streets and rivers. In 1885 a heatwave caused The Big Stink. The
government paid an engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette to design and
build a new sewer system for London. Over 83 miles of wooden sewer
pipes were laid.
ANSWERS
Task 4:
1596 Sir John Harrington, a British
nobleman.
Unfortunately, he was laughed at for his
attempts and so never made another
one. This is where “going to the Jon”
meaning go to the loo comes from.

50 BC Chinese 1876 William Smith invented

people invented a jet siphon toilet for which
toilet paper he then got a patent, so no
1852 Edward Jenner
one could copy his idea
patented the first wash out
without paying him first.
closet that featured a shallow
toilet basin and water seal.

0BC 1300 1350 1400 1450 1500 1550 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900

1391 the Chinese Emperor

commissioned for toilet
1870 Randall Mann invent-
paper sizes to be 1 metre
ed a 3 pipe, siphonic closet
long!
for which he was granted a
patent.

1777 Samuel Prosser

invented a plunger closet.

1875 Two Americans James 1778 Joe Brahma patented

T Henry and William the first toilet that featured
Campbell were granted a valve at the bottom of the
patents for their flushing toilet bowl.
water closet inventions.