William Addis (entrepreneur) facts for kids

William Addis (1734–1808) was an English businessman. He is famous for creating the first mass-produced toothbrush in 1780.

Who Was William Addis?

William Addis was born in 1734 in England. He likely grew up in Clerkenwell, a part of London. He became an entrepreneur, which means he started and ran his own businesses.

How the Toothbrush Idea Began

In 1770, William Addis was in prison. While there, he noticed how people used brooms to sweep floors. He thought about how people cleaned their teeth at the time. They often used a cloth with crushed shells or soot. Addis believed this method was not very good.

He wanted to find a better way to clean teeth. He saved a small animal bone from his dinner. He then drilled tiny holes into the bone. He got some bristles from one of the guards. He tied these bristles into small bunches. Then, he pushed the bristles through the holes in the bone. Finally, he used glue to hold them in place. This was his first toothbrush!

Building a Business

After he was released from prison, William Addis started a company. His goal was to make and sell the toothbrushes he had invented. His business quickly became very successful. He earned a lot of money from his new invention.

William Addis passed away in 1808. He left his toothbrush company to his oldest son, also named William. The business stayed in the Addis family until 1996. Today, the company is known as Wisdom Toothbrushes. It makes about 70 million toothbrushes each year in the UK.

Toothbrushes Around the World

By 1840, toothbrushes were being made in large numbers. Factories in England, France, Germany, and Japan all started producing them. This made toothbrushes more available to people everywhere.

The Addis Collection at Hertford Museum

The Hertford Museum has a special collection. It holds about 5,000 toothbrushes. These toothbrushes are part of the Addis Collection. The Addis factory in Ware Road used to be a big employer in the town. It closed in 1996.

Since the factory closed, Hertford Museum has gathered many items. They have photographs and documents about the company. They also talked to former employees. This helps them keep the history of William Addis and his famous invention alive.