dolls house source information about bathrooms in a georgian dolls house

Georgian Bathroom

Water closets, whilst still not the norm, became fashionable in London during the 1760’s. Joseph Bramah patented his water closet and working valves in 1778 and they were an immediate hit in the cities.

In the country the usual arrangement of “privys” remained. This was an outhouse at the bottom of the garden usually over a cess pit. The contents of the cess pit were usually emptied at a convenient time, often onto the nearest road.

Mains drainage was not installed until the early 1800’s and was not popular. It was believed to spread pestilence, fever and disease.

In the main, bedrooms were furnished with a washstand, jug and ewer for basic hygiene. As the century went on, they progressively moved into the bathroom. Basins became encased in wood or cast iron. Tiles covered the floors and walls Coal tar in ovals and Brown Windsor soap in squares were on hand. The bathroom was cold and cramped, often with minimal or no lighting and no heating.

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