Person    | Male  Born 26/12/1791  Died 18/10/1871

Charles Babbage

Categories: Science, Seriously Famous

Mathematician and pioneer of the modern computer. Probably born in Crosby Row on what is now Walworth Road. Went to school at Freeman's academy in Enfield.

He was critical, to the point of rudeness, of the Royal Society, its officers and other scientists. Even his friend, Herschel, wrote that he would like to give Babbage "a good slap in the face". After his death he was described as "an irascible genius". Ada Lovelace seems to have been able to cope with him. He died at home, 1 Dorset Street.

Most of him is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery but his brain was felt too special to be allowed to turn to dust. Half is held at the Hunterian Museum and half at the Science Museum. We learnt this at Londonist's splendid post about the Cemetery.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Charles Babbage

Commemorated ati

Charles Babbage - SE17

Plaques really should contain enough information to explain their presence at...

Read More

Charles Babbage - W1

This is where Babbage died.

Read More

Other Subjects

Eduard Suess

Eduard Suess

Geologist, educationalist, economist, statesman. Expert on the geography of the Alps. Born 4 Duncan Terrace, of German parentage, grew up in Prague and Vienna. Died in Vienna.

Person, Economist, Education, Politics & Administration, Science, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland

1 memorial
Reginald Ruggles Gates

Reginald Ruggles Gates

Husband to Marie Stopes, botanist and geneticist. Born Nova Scotia, Canada. His marriage to Marie Stopes was a very public failure. Co-authored a book entitled "The Inheritance of Hairy Ear Ri...

Person, Science, Canada

1 memorial
Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson

Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson

Inorganic chemist. Born at 506 Halifax Road, Springside, near Todmorden, Yorkshire. Died at 14 Passmore Street, London.

Person, Science, USA

1 memorial
John Allen

John Allen

Royal apothecary

Person, Science

1 memorial
Sir Arthur Eddington

Sir Arthur Eddington

Astronomer. mathematician and physicist. Born Arthur Stanley Eddington in Kendal, Westmorland. He is famous for his work concerning the theory of relativity, and wrote a number of articles explaini...

Person, Science

2 memorials

Previously viewed

Will Crooks

Will Crooks

Trade unionist and politician. Born at 2 Shirbutt Street, Poplar. He helped bring about many local improvements, and in 1891 endorsed representation by the London Trades Council to restrict immigra...

Person, Community / Clubs, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Horizon Magazine

Horizon Magazine

An influential literary and art magazine. From a pdf issued for the unveiling: "... Stephen Spender joined Cyril Connolly and the wealthy patron Peter Watson in 1939 to set up Horizon at 6 Selwyn H...

Media, Journalism / Publishing, Literature

1 memorial
Sir Thomas More

Sir Thomas More

Born Milk Street. In conflict with Henry VIII over religion he was imprisoned in the tower, found guilty of treason and beheaded on Tower Hill. Final words: "The King's good servant, but God's Firs...

Person, Execution, Literature, Politics & Administration, Seriously Famous

16 memorials
Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair

Novel by William Makepeace Thackeray.

Fiction, Literature

1 memorial
Mrs Henry Gage Spicer

Mrs Henry Gage Spicer

Gertrude Maud Emms was born on 1 October 1885 in Bermondsey, the fourth of the seven children of George Edmonds Emms (1849-1908) and Alice Ann Emms née Harwood (1854-1927). On 31 January 1886 she w...

Person, Friend / family

1 memorial