George Jennings and the Public Toilet

Did the well-known Victorian sanitary engineer George Jennings invent the public toilet?

It's a fact that's often repeated on various websites and books, but not really true. Admittedly, he installed his toilets at the Great Exhibition, but the Exhibition's commissioners had been lobbied to take action by a committee of members of the Royal Society of Arts.

It's often said that he installed underground toilets at the Royal Exchange in 1855 but this claim seems to date back to 'The Good Loo Guide' - a comic 1960s publication by Jonathan Routh - which gets the date wrong by some thirty years - 1885 is the correct date (click here for details), and Jennings was not involved in that particular build (not least because he was dead three years earlier), nor his firm.

He did, however, offer at least twice to set up public toilets in the City of London, and came up with the idea of underground public toilets in 1858, which were rejected due to 'English delicacy of feeling' (i.e. public water closets were considered unsavoury and immodest). [I only have an account of this response from Lawrence Wright's 'Clean and Decent' 1960, p.201, which reprints a memoir/letter/comment from Jennings without providing a citation]. Jenning's company, which survived his demise and prospered, would provide fixtures and fittings for many of the public toilets built in the 1880s and beyond, and contracted to manage some of them, in prime locations in London.

I've been mooching around the archives at the LMA (which I love, but the City's sanitary records are the worst-catalogued collection of material in the known universe) and, although I haven't found the City of London's rejection of Jenning's proposal, I have found his original 1858 letter. Here it is, in full:

5 Holland Street, Blackfriars, S.E.

December 13th 1858

To the Honourable the Commissioners of Sewers for the City of London

Gentlemen, I observe in 'The Times' that certain matters of a Sanitary character have been referred to your Engineer.

I think it only right to call attention to the efforts I have made to prevent the defilement of our thoroughfares and to remove those Plague spots that are offensive to the eye, and a reproach to the Metropolis.

Having provided, and fixed the Sanitary appliances at the Exhibition of 1851 and the Dublin Exhibition of 1852, as also those in the present Crystal Palace, I can bear testimony to the Public application of conveniences, suited to the advanced stage of civilization.

I know the subject is a peculiar one, and very difficult to handle, but no false delicacy ought to prevent immediate attention being given to matters effecting the health, and comfort, of the thousands who daily throng the thoroughfares of your City.

Herewith, I send you Lithographed drawings of a 'Halting Place' for a public Crossing: the space proposed to be occupied is not more than is appropriated to the any of the present 'Halting Places' and the design also provides for a Public Lamp & Drinking Fountain.

In the super-structure (which may be extended to any size without in the slightest degree impairing the stability of the thoroughfare above) you will see I show a Public Urinal, similar to those I have so satisfactorily erected for the St. Giles District Board of Works in the Seven Dials, and at the British Museum, as alson on the Great Northern and other Railways.

Water Closets and Lavatories are also shown with a Room for the Attendants. The wall space I propose should be covered with Time Tables from the different Railways; lists of Cab-fares from that particular point, to any part of the Metropolis, and other useful information. You will also observe that every arrangement is made for lighting and perfect ventilation.

In 1851 in connection with the Society of Arts, I spent a considerable sum to promote the establishment of Public Waiting Rooms and in the beginning of 1856, I had elaborate drawings made, showing how the vacant space next to the Royal Exchange might be advantageously employed. These drawings were submitted to the then Gresham Committee.

Public Waiting Rooms - Fountains - Water Closets and Lavatories may by some be considered a little in advance of the times, but they are nevertheless a necessary and would be appreciated accordingly.

As an example - At the Crystal Palace,for want of funds, the Lavatories were nearly excluded. I urged their introduction, but was told "persons would not come to Sydenham to wash their hands." I persisted and ultimately at a nominal cost, fitted the whole of the Waiting Rooms. These Waiting rooms I am told now produce a thousand pounds per annum.

If you consider my arrangements bear the stamp of common sense, I offer through you to supply and fix in any part of the City every Sanitary appliance shown in my drawings free of any charge.

If the cost of Gas-lights Water Supply and respectable Attendants capable of understanding and answering a question, should be considered an expense too great to be encountered, I am willing to take every expense on myself, and carry out every detail, under your Engineer's direction, provided the attendants I furnish are allowed to receive a small gratuity for use of Towels &c. as at the Crystal Palace.

If this (which many would turn a speculation) should prove commercially valuable, I shall be quite ready at any time to resign my trust, or retain it, using the proceeds for the establishment of similar conveniences.

I have the honour to be My Lord & Gentlemen,

Your obedient Servant,

George Jennings

Lithographed Drawings of the proposed 'Halting Place' were laid before the Court, and examined.

Resolved

That it be referred to the Committee on General Purposes to consider the said proposal and report.

Underground Convenience

The first underground toilets in Victorian London ...

DESCRIPTION

OF THE 

UNDERGROUND URINALS

AND 

WATER CLOSETS

ERECTED BY 

The Honourable the Commissioners of

Sewers of the City of London

ON THE

WESTERN FRONT OF THE ROYAL EXCHANGE

in the Years 1884-5

LONDON 

CHARLES SKIPPER & EAST, PRINTERS, ST. DUNSTANT'S HILL, E.C.

1885

PUBLIC CLOSETS &c.

DESCRIPTION of the underground Urinals and Water Closets on the Western front of the Royal Exchange, erected by the Commissioners of Sewers of the City of London, 1884-5, and opened on the 23rd January, 1885.

---

This underground construction is formed around the base of the Duke of Wellington's Statue, on the Western front of the Royal Exchange. It is wholly beneath the street pavement, and was excavated in the mass of solid concrete which surrounded the foundations of the base of the statue.

The base of the statue being oblong, with a railing around it, forming an ellipse, that form suggested itself as best suited to the requirements of the structure.

The area may be said to be dividied into three rings, the outer ring occupied by the water closets, the middle ring by the passage-way or corridor, and the inner ring, or that which is closest to the base of the statue, by the urinals.

The outer ring contains twelve water closets, six on each side, divided by brick partitions, radiating from the centres of the ellipse; space is provided at the ends for four additional closets, should they be required, or the space may be otherwise utilized, as may be found necessary.

The outer ring contains also two rooms for attendants, one on each side of the entrance, and together they command a view of the whole of the interior of the structure.

The corridor or passage-way is 3feet 6 inches wide, and gives acces to the water closets on one side, and to the urinals on the other side, and passes completely round the ellipse, giving a clear passage-way from the entrance to exit.

The entrance and exit to the structure are by two flights of stone steps - parallel for part of their length and diverging right and left as they approach the floor. These entrances are in the rear of the statue.

The internal dimensions of the structure are as follow:- lenght 38 feet 4 inches, breadth 33 feet 8 inches. The depth from the street paving level to the floor of the corridor is 10 feet.

There is no external evidence of the structure other than the entrance steps leading to it; the cast-iron railing which heretofore surrounded the base of the statue is retained in its original position, and the levels of the pavements are unaltered. The railings and curbs enclosing the entrance steps are of the same pattern as those surrounding the statue, and are flanked by ornamental iron lamp standards on stone bases. These lamp standards are used for ventilation. Ornamental cast-iron gates are provided for closing the structure when required; these gates lay back out of the public-way when not closed.

The street pavement over and forming the roof of the structure is carried by three rows of cast-iron ornamental columns, which carry rolled iron joists filled in with breeze concrete, the whole being covered with asphalte. These columns at the same time form the points of sub-division of the urinals.

The structure is lighted by prism pavement lights let into cast-iron frames lying outside the curb of the railings surrounding the base of the statue, and forming also the footway pavement, and is ventilated by perforated iron panels and gratings laid at the pavement level.

An ellipitical grating formign the outer border ventilates the water closets, and the gratings immediately at the base of the statue inside the railings surrounding it ventilate the urinals. Ventilation is also obtained to the water closets by open fanlights over each of the doors to the same.

The closet apparatus are of the best quality, the whole basin and trap being formed in one piece of white porcelain. The seats are constructed of hard light coloured wood, polished, put together so as to be easily removed when necessary, the seats are hinged with brass hinges and the risers made moveable. A lock and key is provided to each; the attendants are thus enabled to inspect and thoroughly cleanse the surroundings of the apparatus; the walls and floor under the seats up to the height of the riser are rendered in Portland cement.

The urinals in the inner ring are fourteen in number, and are formed with enamelled slate backs, sides and divisions, and fitted with white porcelain lipped pans. The floor of the standing place of each urinal is of slate, dished and covered with a brass grating, with a hinged gulley and trap in the centre.

The whole of the metal work of these urinals is of brass.

The water-service to the urinals is automatic and is supplied by two cisterns, each flushing seven urinals, as well as the dished slate slabs forming the floor, every two or three minutes. By this arrangement, much needless waste of water, is is believed will be saved.

The water-service to the closets is supplied by two cisterns placed in the rooms to be used by the attendants, and the service to them is constant. From these cisterns also the whole structure can be thoroughly washde out by means of the stand-pipes and hose provided.

The drains throughout the structure are to be inspected and kept clear by means of hinged inspection boxes, man-holes and covers, and have ventilating pipes carried up the gas standards in the entrances.

The floors throughout of the closets and the passage-ways are asphalted.

The whole of the internal walls are faced with white glazed bricks with coloured borders and dado.

The wood-work throughout, excepting the seats to the water-closets, is of pitch pine varnished.

In the attendants' rooms are cupboards for tools and hose pipes, &c. A washing basin is fitted up in each. These rooms can be warmed with gas stoves; the flues from them are carried up in the gas standards at the entrance.

The structure will be lighted at night, or whenever necessary, by small gas lamps placed in the fanlights over the doors of each water-closet, the fumes from each burner being carried off by a pipe running round the building and rising into the gas standards.

Six of the water closets are to be free and are to be marked "Public." The doors of the six water closets, for which payment is to be made, are eached fitted with an improved tell-tale apparatus, with lever locks, and a general pass-key.

The building is from the design of Lieut. Colonel William Haywood, the Engineer and Surveyor to the Commissioners of City Sewers.

The builder was Mark Gentry, Contractor.

The structure was opened on the 23rd January, 1885, in the presence of the Streets Committee, by Geogre Rose-Innes, Esq., Chairman of the Commission, and Albert Joseph Altman, Esq., Chairman of the Streets Committee.

WILLIAM HAYWOOD
Engineer
23rd January, 1885