Bathroom Brilliance: Two New Brunswick inventions that Changed Everything
Campbell’s Double Basin Cock. Original drawing for the patent application by Thomas Campbell.
The vortex-flushing toilet.
Two little-known inventors from New Brunswick helped bring comfort and cleanliness to the modern bathroom.
The names Thomas Campbell and Thomas MacAvity Stewart are certainly not household names – but we owe them a debt of gratitude. Twenty-seven years apart, their inventions revolutionized the function and cleanliness of our bathrooms, making our lives far more comfortable.
The combined hot and cold faucet (mixer tap)
Our bathroom taps are essential fixtures. We use them daily without much thought – but it wasn’t always this simple. For centuries, faucets came in pairs: one for hot water, the other for cold. Adjusting them meant fiddling with both until you found the right mix in the basin.
That changed thanks to Thomas Campbell of Saint John, New Brunswick. He invented a faucet that combined hot and cold water into a single, adjustable stream. He received a patent for his invention – Campbell’s Double Basin Cock – on January 16, 1880. It was the forerunner of the modern mixer tap and a small but meaningful leap forward in domestic convenience.
The vortex-flushing toilet
This next innovation may well be the greatest of all bathroom inventions. Every time we flush a toilet, we should give a nod to Thomas MacAvity Stewart. In 1907, the Saint John engineer received a patent for a toilet design that used the swirling motion of water – a vortex – to create a more efficient, sanitary flush.
Stewart’s design didn’t just improve cleanliness. It introduced a self-cleaning effect by directing the water in a circular motion through the bowl, dramatically improving hygiene in homes and public spaces alike. The familiar swirling flush that we see today is a direct descendant of Stewart’s invention.
A Brief History of Taps and Toilets
Taps through Time
The earliest taps date back to ancient Rome, where bronze valves controlled water in aqueducts and public baths. For centuries afterward, taps remained simple, separate fixtures for hot and cold water. Mixer taps, like the one invented by Thomas Campbell in 1880, brought a new level of comfort and control to the household sink.
The Toilet’s Evolution
Basic flush toilets were first used in ancient civilizations, but the modern flush emerged in 1596 with Sir John Harington’s design for Queen Elizabeth I. Innovations continued, but it was Thomas MacAvity Stewart’s 1907 vortex-flush that introduced the swirling action we now associate with an effective, self-cleaning flush.
Image source:
Taps:
Government of Canada. (1880). Canadian Patent 10811: Campbell’s Double Basin Cock (drawing). Canadian Patent Database. https://www.ic.gc.ca/opic-cipo/cpd/eng/patent/10811/summary.html