Who invented the toilet? Was it Thomas Crapper?

Contrary to popular belief, it was not Thomas Crapper.  Crapper is known to most as an ingenious Victorian plumber who came up with the idea of a flushing lavatory.  The majority of this deceit comes from a book written in 1969 by Wallace Reyburn, Flushed with Pride: The Story of Thomas Crapper. This author also wrote Bust Up: The Uplifting Tale of Otto Tilzling and The Development of the Bra. Crapper was in fact a plumber, and he did take out a number of plumbing related patents in his time, but none for the flush toilet.

In reality, Alexander Cummings is generally credited as being the inventor of this illustrious gadget, in 1775 (fifty years before Crapper was born).  Joseph Bramah and Thomas Twyford improved upon Cumming’s design by adding the ballcock.  Finally, the use of the word “crapper” for a lavatory is of unknown origin but is believed to have started out in America

From: The Ultimate Books of Top 10 Lists by The Best of Listverse.com

Contrary to popular belief, it was not Thomas Crapper.  Crapper…