Weird Histories 2 | Victoriana Toilets

An ad hoc series of short articles about weird stuff in history, relating to toilets.Amuse your children when you recount these articles AND teach them about history and other important matters while doing so.

Weird History – Number 2: 18th and 19th Century Toilet Behaviour

• Introduction

Nowadays we go to “the rest room” (US vernacular) or to “the toilet” in the UK. Although some men use group urinals to pee, they use lockable and private toilet cubicles for anything more. Women use private toilet cubicles to pee and anything else. Though normally we use the same space to wash our hands (because we don’t like to spread germs) we would never consider doing anything that involved sitting on a toilet in a communal setting.

Oh how times have changed!

Article continues below this picture of Queen Victoria Sitting on a royal toilet...

Image from Wikipedia - doesn't really show the Queen of England sitting on a toilet (as stated above).  She is actually sitting on her throne.  The Queen did make use of one of the first flushing toilet when at her favourite residence (Osborne House on the Isle of Wight).  Also, for an obvious reason, some people use the term "Throne" to mean toilet.  Long may she reign!  Article continues:

• Victorian Toffs in the Rest Room or on the Toilet

Although Queen Victoria, other Royals and rich people may have had their own commodes – a seat which doubled as a toilet – these were not usually in special rooms and most likely caused problems when in came to privacy. The use of commodes would also have caused problems for the housemaid tasked with emptying the contents – as there was no flush toilets until the late Victorian era.

• Every other Victorian in the Rest Room or on the Toilet

But what of other people in the 18th and 19th centuries, how did they toilet? They used outdoor facilities or had a potty under the bed – all their lives – not just when they were young children. Of course, adults had much bigger potties than children (stands to reason as their bums are much bigger). A potty would have been a preferable alternative to the toilet used by severalfamilies in a back-to-back housing block. They didn’t have individual cubicles like we do today – one cubicle would have been for everyone and more than one person would use the toilet at a time! There are examples still in existence of two, three and four seater toilets. Remember, none of these would have had a flush. Also, toilet paper hadn’t been invented so guess what they used?

• Conclusion

Say “err” and “yuk” a lot and have a laugh at the Victorians – but remember no other super-power since has ruled as much of the world as the Victorians and there’s still the Commonwealth. To finish this tale ask children if they are glad that they live today rather than Victorian times.

• Further Activities:

Check out some more facts about Victorians online. Look at the size of their empire (known as the British Empire) and the size of the Commonwealth today. Google “Osborne House” and see where Queen Victoria liked to live.

Find an example of an 18th or early 19th century double, treble or quadruple toilet online. CLUE: google “Black Country Museum” and “Birmingham, back to back houses".

• TIP

Referring to this story is a great way of illustrating to children just how much times have changed in about 100 years (Queen Victoria died in 1901). You may like to recount how children as young as 6 worked full time hours (similar to children today in some parts of the world) but don’t over emphasise this.