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

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
Sir William Ramsay

Sir William Ramsay

Born at 2 Queen's Crescent, Glasgow. he studied in Tübingen and Glasgow. Following the discovery of helium, it occurred to him that there was room in the periodic table for a new eighth group of el...

Person, Science, Germany, Scotland

1 memorial
Sir Julian Huxley

Sir Julian Huxley

Zoologist and philosopher.  Born 61 Russell Square.  Son of Leonard Huxley and grandson of zoologist Thomas Huxley.  Brother of novelist Aldous Huxley. Researched in support of Darwin's theory of e...

Person, Philosophy, Politics & Administration, Science

2 memorials
Sir Arthur Keith

Sir Arthur Keith

Physiologist and anthropologist. Born Aberdeenshire. Trained as a doctor and practiced in Siam but returned to become an academic and researched in the fields of anatomy, physiology, palaeontology ...

Person, Medicine, Science, Scotland

1 memorial
Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci

Scientist, artist, etc. - a polymath, the first "renaissance man". Born in Vinci, Italy (No? Really?). Died in France.

Person, Art, Science, Seriously Famous, Italy

3 memorials

Previously viewed

Highbury View Tenants Association

Highbury View Tenants Association

There are lots of housing associations in Highbury, but we can't find any specific information about a group with this name. The building on which the plaque is erected is occupied by a sheltered h...

Group, Community / Clubs

1 memorial
Ted Low

Ted Low

Graphic designer. BA from Goldsmiths, BSc from Brighton.

Person, Art, Craft / Design

1 memorial