George Jennings (10 November 1810–17 April 1882) was an English sanitary engineer and plumber who invented the first public toilets. Josiah George Jennings was born on 10 November 1810 in Eling, at the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire. He was the eldest of seven children of Jonas Joseph Jennings and Mary Dimmock. He was educated at the local school run by his uncle-in-law Joshua Withers.

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  • George Jennings (10 November 1810–17 April 1882) was an English sanitary engineer and plumber who invented the first public toilets. Josiah George Jennings was born on 10 November 1810 in Eling, at the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire. He was the eldest of seven children of Jonas Joseph Jennings and Mary Dimmock. He was educated at the local school run by his uncle-in-law Joshua Withers. At 14, after his father's death he was apprenticed to his grandfather's glass and lead merchandising business, before moving to his Uncle John Jennings' plumbing business at Southwick, Southampton. In 1831 he became a plumber with Messrs. Lancelot Burton of Newcastle Street, London where his father had been a foreman before him. He married twice, having 4 children by his first wife, Mary Ann Gill who died in 1844 . He remarried Sophia Budd some 14 years later and had 11 children with her. One of these was Mabel Jennings who married the English organist and composer, Basil Harwood. In 1838, Jennings set up his own business in Paris Street, Lambeth when he received an inheritance from his grandmother, Anne Jennings. Jennings specialised in designing toilets that were "as perfect a sanitary closet as can be made". However, he also excelled in public sanitation projects such as the design of the underground 'public convenience'. The entrances to these were elaborate metal railings and arches lit by lamps, with interiors built of slate and later, of ceramic tiles. One of the few surviving examples is the Gentleman's Convenience at Wesley's Chapel, City Road, London built in 1891 and restored in 1972. His most famous installation was for The Great Exhibition in the Retiring Rooms of The Crystal Palace. (en)
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  • Jennings, George (en)
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  • 1810-11-10 (xsd:date)
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  • 1882-04-17 (xsd:date)
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  • Jennings, Josiah George (en)
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  • English sanitary engineer; inventor of public toilets (en)
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  • George Jennings (10 November 1810–17 April 1882) was an English sanitary engineer and plumber who invented the first public toilets. Josiah George Jennings was born on 10 November 1810 in Eling, at the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire. He was the eldest of seven children of Jonas Joseph Jennings and Mary Dimmock. He was educated at the local school run by his uncle-in-law Joshua Withers. (en)
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  • George Jennings (en)
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  • Josiah George (de)
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  • Josiah George Jennings (de)
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  • Jennings (de)
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