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
Georges Cuvier
French naturalist and zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuvier was a major figure in natural sciences research in the early 19th century and was instrumenta...
Sir Norman Lockyer
Astronomer and journal editor, born at Rugby. In 1865 Lockyer and his family moved to a house (no longer extant) near Swiss Cottage. Here, using a special spectroscope to examine the sun, he discov...
John Napier
Mathematician. Born Merchiston Castle, Edinburgh, his family home. 7th Laird of Merchiston (though Wikipedia says 8th). Inventor of logarithms. Died Edinburgh.
George Bentham
Botanist. Born in Stoke, near Plymouth. His family moved to St Petersburg in 1805, where he becam proficient in several languages. In France he studied at the universities of Tours and Montpelier. ...
Sir Henry De la Beche
Born Welbeck Street. An unusual childhood: his father changed their name from Beach to create a fictional connection with the medieval Barons De la Beche of Aldworth. Inheriting a slave plantation ...