Who Invented the toilet? Thomas Crapper. The debate over who Thomas Crapper was or even if he existed at all continues today. Although Thomas Crapper did have a successful career in plumbing from 1861 to 1904 and did hold several patents on plumbing related products, he did not invent the toilet. Albert Giblin holds the 1819 British patent for the "silent valveless water waste preventer", a system that allowed a toilet to flush effectively. Giblin worked for Crapper as an employee and the most likely scenario is that Crapper bought the patent rights from Giblin and marketed the device himself.