Quiz Trail History Blog

July 23, 2025

What was used before toilet paper was invented?

Before the invention of modern toilet paper, people across different cultures and historical periods employed a variety of materials and methods for personal hygiene. These practices were largely influenced by local resources, cultural norms, and social status. Take your choice ... • Old anchor cables and rope: Pirates and sailors would have taken any old spare bits of rope they came upon - it was rather course and uncomfortable - but softened up after several washes and being hung out to dry. Sailors would sell old, damaged rope for a small amount of money when they were ashore - ’money for old rope’. This rope, though worn, could still be useful for various tasks on land - but let’s hope they didn’t sell the ‘used’ rope ... • Moss: In medieval Iceland, peat moss was favoured for its softness, absorbency, and natural antiseptic properties. • Pages from old books or catalogues: In Tudor England books were widely used - particularly after King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in the 1500s. Thousands of books remained in chapel libraries and so were used as Tudor Toilet Paper. In 18th and 19th century America, newspapers and catalogues like the Sears Roebuck catalogue were repurposed for hygiene. Some publications even included holes for hanging in outhouses! Some said the January catalogues were popular as they were usually thicker editions for the year ahead … and they lasted right through to harvest time! When printers started using glossy pages many wrote to complain they were no longer suitable for their toilet needs. • Coconut shells: In Hawaii coconut shells were used in complete halves. Once used they were discarded. • Mussel shells: Used in coastal and arid regions where other materials were scarce. While effective, they could be abrasive and uncomfortable. • Newspaper: Many a family Sunday was spent with children cutting the broadsheets into 16 pieces and hanging them up in the outside toilet. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that Thomas Crapper patented a new valve and siphon system that improved toilet functionality and reduced smells, leading to wider adoption in affluent Victorian homes. • Lace: The wealthy in medieval Europe often used washable cloths made of wool or lace - soft but expensive and so these were cleaned and reused. No doubt the cleaning side done by servants rather than the wealthy themselves! • Sand: Favoured in the dry, arid middle east and in plentiful supply. • Corn cobs: In rural America, dried corn cobs were a popular choice. They were reusable and often hung in outhouses for convenience. • Hay and straw: Commonly used in various regions due to their availability and softness. However, selecting the wrong type of leaf could lead to discomfort or irritation. In the middle ages hay and straws were packed into a light ball before use. • Hemp: French royalty found the soft fibres of hemp very soft and luxurious. These dried fibres of the cannabis plant were almost like cotton wool today. Oh to be wealthy. • Wool: Wealthy Romans preferred soft wool soaked in rosewater for cleansing. Vikings also favoured this method and grabbed a handful from fields when they spotted some - tucked away for later. Much of England was farmland so there was ample supply. • Hygiene sticks: In Ancient China wooden or bamboo sticks wrapped in cloth have been discover - dating back over 2,000 years. These were used for cleaning and have been found in archaeological sites along the Silk Road. • Early toilet paper: By the 6th century AD, paper was used for hygiene, with mass production for the imperial family recorded in 1393. • Sponge on a stick: In Ancient Rome a communal sponge affixed to a stick, soaked in vinegar or saltwater, used in public latrines. After use, it was rinsed and returned for the next person. • Feathers: Rich Romans didn’t like to share the sponge on a stick and so used ostrich feathers. Later European royalty preferred to use goose feathers. The invention of modern toilet paper: Purpose-made toilet paper first appeared in America in 1857, and by 1880, it was being produced in England. The British Perforated Paper Company started production of toilet paper in 1880, marking the arrival of the product in Great Britain. While the concept of toilet paper on a roll was popularized by the Scott brothers in 1890, it took time for the product to become widely accepted and used in the UK. These diverse methods underscore the essence of human adaptability and the influence of environment and culture on daily necessaries!

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July 15, 2025

Father's Day - A world-famous Dad - Lord Horatio Nelson!

A world-famous Dad - Lord Horatio Nelson! In our new Isle of Sheppey and Swale Quiz Trail you’ll discover lots about Lord Horatio Nelson. He arrived in Sheerness aged 13 years old and set sail to sea – a career that let to him achieving the highest status in the Royal Navy. With his mistress, Lady Emma Hamilton, he had his one child – a girl named Horatia. Lady Emma Hamilton started life in Cheshire as Amy Lyon in 1765. Her father, a blacksmith, died when she was just two months old and she was brought up by her mother and grandmother, without any formal education. She changed her name to Emma Hart, became a maid and moved to London where she gained employment. Through the new friends she made, she went on to become very famous as a model for the artist George Romney who was infatuated with painting and sketching her, she being extremely beautiful. Marriage Life led Emma to marry Sir William Hamilton, the British envoy to Naples – she was 26 and he was 60 when they married and moved to Italy. It was here that she met a married man - Lord Horatio Nelson. Theirs was a story of romance and she helped Lord Nelson to end a revolution in Naples. Lady Hamilton played a part in exchanging messages with the Italian royal family, mainly helped by the fact she was a friend of Queen Maria Carolina (who incidentally was the sister of the French Queen Marie Antoinette). Back to the UK Sir William Hamilton and Emma moved back to England … and in due course Lord Nelson returned to England from one of his voyages. Lady Hamilton was famously Lord Nelson’s mistress. One thing led to another (!!) and a baby arrived out of wedlock in January 1801 … a girl called Horatia. Due to the complications a scandal such as this would have brought about, a cover story was made up. Horatia was Nelson’s only child and very much loved by her parents although their time with her was short. Lord Nelson died at the Battle of Trafalgar, on HMS Victory, in 1805 and her mother Lady Hamilton died when Horatia was just fourteen. Family members looked after Horatia until her marriage. Living in Kent At the age of twenty-one, in 1822, young Horatia married the Reverend Philip Ward … who became the vicar of Tenterden in 1830. Here they lived happily in their community for many years and raised their ten children. She named her first child Horatio. Nelson’s column was erected in the newly built Trafalgar Square in London in 1843 when Horatia was aged forty-two.

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July 15, 2025

Why did Wall’s Sausages start selling Wall’s ice-creams?!

Why did Wall’s Sausages start selling Wall’s ice-creams?! Thomas Wall laid the foundation stone at the Baptist Church in Cheam Village, Surrey. Is the name familiar? If we say ‘sausages and ice-cream’ we’ll all know the Wall’s brand. Thomas founded a school in Sutton, which eventually became the Sutton United Football Club ground in 1935. It started with Sausages! Born in London in 1846, Thomas was born into a family of pork butchers who were supplying to royalty and the top end of London society. Thomas’ grandfather and father had built a business making sausages from their pork. In Queen Victoria’s reign they were given the royal warrant for supplying sausages to Buckingham Palace. They never needed to advertise and had a thriving business with plentiful trade for their top-quality products. The take-over of the 1920s T. Wall & Sons Ltd became a target for take-over. William Hesketh Lever purchased Wall's in 1920. He owned MacFisheries and wanted sausages to form part of the offerings. Two years later he sold Wall's and MacFisheries to Lever Brothers Ltd, which in 1929 became part of Unilever Ltd. Seasonal Sales … Sausages were a seasonal business - very low sales in the summer - and so the business began to sell ice-cream to balance out the years trading. Most ordinary shops didn’t have refrigerators, so they created a sales force to cycle the streets in box tricycles. Thomas was both religious and generous and gave greatly to the surrounding area. Thomas Wall died at his home, Blythewood, Worcester Road, Sutton on 2nd January 1930. Sausage and Mash … An old English favourite. Also known as Bangers and Mash. Sausages became called bangers as during World War One there was a shortage of meat and so more water was added as a component in the making of sausages. When cooking, this would cause them to burst their skins and explode … hence they became known as bangers! If you have a barbeque this midsummer weekend – enjoy your bangers!

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July 15, 2025

Why are the school summer holidays 6 weeks long?

Why are the school summer holidays 6 weeks long? The thought is that school children have a long summer holiday (six weeks for most pupils in the UK) so that they could help work in the fields over the summer back through the ages. Having children helping with the harvest would only have been necessary for a small percentage of the population. So, whatever the origin of six weeks off at the height of summer is, it’s not for the sake of farmers. Perhaps it was just to be nice to school students by giving them time off at the sunniest part of the year. There appears to be no definite reason but avoiding learning in the heat of the summer seems logical. Why holiday? The word ‘holiday’ is derived from ‘holy day’, or a saint’s day in the Christian calendar, and holy days were an important part of medieval life. Holy days were very frequent, but you wouldn't always get time off for all of them. Sunday was the day that was reserved as a day of rest. The Grand Tour In the 1700s upper class families sent their sons off on ‘The Grand Tour’ - usually a tour of Europe. Maybe from France, to Italy, to Germany and then back home or further afield to Greece and Turkey. It usually lasted a few months; the belief was that it was to enlighten in the wider world and add knowledge. In reality, before trains and planes it must have all been quite a trek! The Great British Seaside Holiday In the 1800s the great British seaside holiday took off. Steam trains and steamships opened up Europe as a possible destination. However, with the industrial revolution, people moved to the cities to work in factories. Holidays were imposed as the 'Summer Shutdown' where the whole factory closed, giving workers time off to have an annual summer seaside holiday. The ‘charabang’ holiday took off – another uncomfortable journey we’d imagine – we don’t know how lucky we are nowadays! Paid Bank Holidays The Bank Holidays Act of 1871 was the first law to give nationwide statutory days off – introduced by a Maidstone MP! Air travel in the 1960s was more expensive but prices reduced over the following years as the air industry took off and the budget package holidays opened up the world for foreign travel. Being tanned also became fashionable in the 1900s, when in previous centuries being pale had been seen as more attractive. Being pale had meant you were wealthy and didn't need to work outdoors - a tan was the sign of being a ruddy-faced field worker! We travel the world and act as tourists and yet often haven't visited places on our own doorsteps. Here's an idea - enjoy a staycation doing Quiz Trails! Write your wish-list of places you'd like to visit this summer and grab a Quiz Trail to explore more! So why do we give children six weeks off in the summer holidays? It's possibly to give our nation of teachers a well-deserved break from teaching children and to give our children time to spend time with loved ones and to have a good break from the routine of school.

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August 16, 2023