Toilet Paper Missing

[bainbrig]

I know they wouldn’t have had Andrex in 1603, but...

Watching BBC’s Gunpowder, noticed King James 1 at stool (there’s polite), and then he stood up from his royal khasi and was dressed.

And didn’t wipe his royal fundament. And nor did anyone else do it for him.

Any experts on toilet hygiene here? When did the Brits catch themselves on and start at least rudimentary cleansing? What a smelly place it must have been.

BillB

[fender62]

http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question95298.html

[ducksie]

I think it it was in Victorian times hygiene like that came to be, was buckets out windows until then, horrible histories was great for that kind of tale that you don't hear in the classroom and if I'm right the royal doultan was first made for the sewers, I could be wrong there but I was always led to believe that was it's original purpose

[aelmpvw]

think i'll start recycling my mussel shells and save a fortune on toilet paper

[bainbrig]

According to Fender’s link, everybody used something - but not (according to the BBC) James 1, who went around with an unwiped bum.

[ducksie]

euwww

[Khandro]

Henry VIII had manservant with a special title (forget) whose role in life was to hand him the warm wet towels for that purpose.

[mikey4444]

I have always viewed these historical toilets arrangements with amazement.

There are lots of reasons why we should wipe our bums, not least of all because its much more comfortable when you do. Can you imagine the sores that would develop if we didn't wipe ?

Its interesting to note that the Romans had the right idea 2000 years ago.

But since I had my bathroom re-fitted out a few years ago, I too, only use minimum amounts of toilet paper, as soap and water is by far the best way to "cleanse"

[Old_Geezer]

Always thought that wiping with pulped wood was a daft "cleaning" practice. I don't wipe my face with the Sporting Times and call it cleaned. I don't understand our society when it comes to toilet hygiene. It's probably why moist wipes found a market, and why the sewerage industry needs to invest to cope with it rather than complain and try to do a King Canute.

[Old_Geezer]

And Andrex is rubbish. None of the brands are quality but some compete to be top of the list when it comes to immediately splitting in two on touching the vital spot.

[HansUrbancka]

If only toilet brushes were soft bristled. It would be less painful on the posterior.

Hans.

[EDDIE51]

In central Africa they use corn cobs , after the corn has been eaten!

[murraymints]

really wish I had not opened that link

[HansUrbancka]

@ducksie....You are right about Royal Doulton having originated from the manufacture of Sanitary Ware and Sewer pipes.

http://potteryhistories.com/doultonhistory.html

Hans.

[bainbrig]

All very horrid, but did England’s (or Scotland’s) Kings & Queens really not wipe their dirty bottoms? I can’t imagine ordinary folk being so anti-social!

[ummmm]

bainbrig - they rarely bathed either.

[Old_Geezer]

I expect that the King employed the King's Wiper to do the job for them.

[mikey4444]

Ummm.......I recall reading that when the body of Becket was examined after he was murdered in Canterbury in 1170, it was noted, with approval, that he had a "good crop of lice"

I'm sure we can all think of times in the past, when we haven't been able to wash properly for a couple of days ( mine would that journey on the Orient Express in 1976 ! ) and how "uncomfortable" it felt. But if people really didn't wash properly for months on end, they must surely have developed sores and other more nasty things, especially in our "moist regions"

So, while I can understand that after the Romans left, us Brits didn't have all that lovely hot water, we should still have kept ourselves as clean as we could.

[bhg481]

I think "Groom of the stool" was the official name for the monarch's bum wiper.

[douglas9401]

It was indeed, bhg.

[ummmm]

Mikey - I'm sure they had loads of ailments due to unhygienic practises.

You know the reason a bride traditionally holds a bouquet in front of her as she walks down the aisle...it's because it used to mask the smell coming from the nether regions.

I know what it's like not to be able to wash properly. I've been to Glastonbury a few times :-) It was easier for the girls because we had our own she-pee toilets with closed off sinks and they were kept spotless. So we could wash.