Toliets

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Does anyone know what these are:
Kate Batstone Toilet Brush Stamper
Martha Batstone Toilet Brush Wipper.
These are from the 1911 census for Benjamin Batstone born 1858 Axminster Devon.

[stanmapstone]

The occupation code is 807 Brush, Broom - Makers; Hair, Bristle - Workers

Stan

[ShaunJ]

These were not the toilet brushes that we think of today:

"By the time Kelly’s Directory of 1889 was published, Axminster was being described as “…known for the excellence of tooth, nail and hair brushes”. Although the brushes made in both factories were often referred to collectively as ‘toilet brushes’, they were designed for personal grooming (i.e. ‘toilette’) rather than household cleaning."


http://axminsterheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Brush-making-in-Axminster.pdf

[stanmapstone]

 There is a report in the  Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Thursday 17 March 1910  on Brush Making in Axminster and the firm of Messrs Bidwell, Bidwell & Co. at Castle Mills, who employed close to 300 hands. They made 72 different patterns of tooth brushes in 12 different qualities and four different stiffnesses, and some 200 patterns of hair brushes. The tooth brushes went through 70 different processes from start to finish, so the Batstones would be employed in these processes.

Stan

[stanmapstone]

Google Street View of the old brush works https://goo.gl/maps/7p8Mi8EovHS2

Stan