Person    | Male  Born 22/9/1791  Died 25/8/1867

Michael Faraday

Categories: Science, Seriously Famous

Experimental physicist, especially electro-magnetics (remember Faraday's Law?). Born in Newington Butts but brought up near Oxford Street. Trained as a bookbinder and here he was given tickets to some Davy lectures at the Royal Institution. This experience caused him to take up a scientific career, a novel idea in those days. Davy gave him a job as a laboratory assistant with accommodation at the RI, where he lived and worked, 1813 – 1858. The British Society for the History of Mathematics lists his achievements there. Invented the electric motor dynamo, designed the Bunsen burner, discovered electro-magnetic induction. Throughout his life he was an active member of a small Christian sect, the Sandemanian church, in which his parents had raised him. Died at home at The Green, Hampton Court, the grace and favour house to which he had moved in 1858, provided for him by Queen Victoria. Buried in Highgate cemetery.

A 2007 publication 'Maths Trails' states "There is a Southwark plaque on the south side of the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre, near the Butts pub, but almost concealed by a large billboard just above it." We've repeatedly looked for this and cannot find one that meets the description but we think it might be this plaque, moved into a better position.

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:
Michael Faraday

Commemorated ati

Faraday on the ICI building entrance doors

These doors are in the centre of the river frontage of the building. Mapping...

Read More

Michael Faraday - Larcom Street

Michael Faraday, 1791 - 1867, scientific genius and discoverer of electromagn...

Read More

Michael Faraday memorial - substation

Michael Faraday (1791 - 1867) This stainless steel sculpture commemorates Eng...

Read More

Michael Faraday - N7 - M.F.

This extremely unusual memorial is a brass plate, only 4 or 5 inches across, ...

Read More

Michael Faraday - N7 - plaque

This plaque was first erected in the Sandemanian Chapel, at the same time, 19...

Read More

Show all 9

Other Subjects

James D. Watson

James D. Watson

Molecular biologist, geneticist and zoologist. Born Chicago as James Dewey Watson. 1962 awarded a Nobel Prize with Crick and Wilkins, for their work on the theory of a double-helix structure for DNA.

Person, Science, USA

1 memorial
Lydia Becker

Lydia Becker

President of NUWSS prior to Millicent Fawcett and campaigned for voting rights of unmarried women and widows. Also an amateur scientist with interests in biology and astronomy. Best remembered for ...

Person, Gender Issues, Journalism / Publishing, Science

1 memorial
Roger Bacon

Roger Bacon

Philosopher and Franciscan friar.  Born Somerset.  An early proponent of the modern scientific method.  He studied at Oxford where there is a statue.

Person, Religion, Science

1 memorial
Dr Richard Price

Dr Richard Price

Welsh moral philosopher, Nonconformist minister and mathematician. He was also a political reformer and pamphleteer, active in radical, republican, and liberal causes such as the French and America...

Person, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Wales

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Anglo-Swiss friendship

Anglo-Swiss friendship

W1, Coventry Street

Until 2007 the north-east corner of this junction was occupied by the 1968 Swiss Centre. The facade of the building was adorned with an a...

4 subjects commemorated, 4 creators