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

John Couch Adams

John Couch Adams

Mathematician and astronomer. Born Cornwall and died Cambridge. His most famous achievement was predicting the existence and position of Neptune, using only mathematics. He also explained the origi...

Person, Science

1 memorial
Atlas Dyeworks

Atlas Dyeworks

The Simpson, etc. plaque commemorates the Dyeworks which were at Victory Place 1859 - 68. This page refers to that site but also refers to the Hackney Dyeworks to which Atlas expanded. The photo sh...

Building, Industry, Science

2 memorials
John Napier

John Napier

Mathematician. Born Merchiston Castle, Edinburgh, his family home. 7th Laird of Merchiston (though Wikipedia says 8th). Inventor of logarithms, so beloved of school children everywhere. Died Edinbu...

Person, Science, Scotland

1 memorial
William Lilly

William Lilly

Master astrologer. Born Leicestershire. Allegedly predicted the Great Fire of London 14 years before it happened. He was accused of having started the fire and was tried but, there being no evid...

Person, Science

1 memorial
David Kirkaldy

David Kirkaldy

Born near Dundee. In 1857 Kirkaldy helped form the Institution of Engineers in Scotland and was the first person to set up a load testing machine for construction materials powerful enough to deal ...

Person, Science, Scotland

2 memorials

Previously viewed

Surrey and Kent Commission of Sewers

Surrey and Kent Commission of Sewers

Since Tudor times this organisation was responsible for the drainage of the low-lying parts of the whole of the then built-up area of South London.  1848 - subsumed into the Metropolitan Commission...

Group, Engineering

1 memorial