Thomas Crapper Biography

Thomas Crapper was a business owner, inventor, and plumber from England. He established the plumbing and sanitary engineering company, Thomas Crapper & Co., in 1861. Originally from Yorkshire, Crapper served as an apprentice under his brother, George, who was a master plumber in Chelsea. He then travelled for three years as a journeyman plumber. In the 1880s, Prince Edward (future King Edward VII of England) bought his country seat of Sandringham House in Norfolk and requested Crapper’s company to send in the plumbing. This was Crapper’s first royal warrant. In the ensuing years, the firm obtained several other warrants from Edward after he ascended the British throne, as well as from George V. Crapper received nine patents, three of which he obtained for water closet improvements, like the floating ballcock. In 1880, he introduced the U-bend, which was an improvement on the S-bend. The firm set up its manufacturing facility at premises in nearby Marlborough Road (now Draycott Avenue), where they produced lavatorial equipment. The company also opened the world's first bath, toilet and sink showroom in King's Road.