Chemist. Born King David's Lane, Shadwell. While a student at the Royal College of Chemistry, aged 18 he discovered the first aniline dyestuff while working in his home laboratory. He dropped out of college and with his family's support he opened a chemical factory at Greenford Green (where there is now a plaque) and began manufacturing the dye, the first mauve. His plaque says that he "went on to found science-based industry". We understand the words (and discovered that SBI is even a recognised acronyn) but aren't too sure of the significance since we would have thought that SBI dates back to at least the beginning of the industrial revolution in the 18th century. Died at home in Sudbury.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sir William Henry Perkin, FRS
Commemorated ati
Sir William Perkin
Sir William Henry Perkin, FRS, discovered the first aniline dyestuff, March 1...
Other Subjects
Sir William Siemens
Born Germany. Electrical engineer, inventor and businessman. Came to England in 1843 with an electro-plating invention. Became naturalised British subject in 1859. Also worked with the regenerativ...
Galileo Galilei
Physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher. Born Pisa, Italy. His improvements to the telescope enabled him to make new important astronomical observations which supported Copernicus’s...
Maurice Wilkins
Molecular biologist. Born New Zealand. Worked on DNA X-ray diffraction studies 1953 at King's College London with Franklin, Gosling, Stokes and Wilson. 1962 awarded a Nobel Prize with Crick and Wa...
James Maxwell
Developed the electromagnetic theory, unifying previous unrelated results. Born Edinburgh. Professor of Natural Philosophy at King's College London, 1860 - 65. Died Cambridge. Buried near Castle Do...
Chambers Nicholson
Chemist and dye manufacturer. We found this man in Grace's Guide: Born in Lincoln as Edward Chambers Nicholson. 1845 became one of the first students at the Royal College of Chemistry. 1853 he form...