In 1819, made and sold Britain's first bicycle in its hobby-horse form. As a coachmaker Johnson was able to make significant improvements to the two-wheel velocipede, as invented by von Drais. He obtained a patent for his "pedestrian curricle", manufactured them and opened a school teaching people how to ride them. They became a bit of a craze with even the Prince Regent riding them.
Died at home and was buried at St Martin's Chapel, Camden Town.
See also John Kemp Starley,
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Denis Johnson
City of Westminster Denis Johnson (c.1760 - 1833) from his workshop on this ...
Ship-repairer and philanthropist. Born in Glasgow. After serving his apprenticeship in shipbuilding, he came to London to ply his trade. He was deacon of St Mark's Presbyterian Church in Greenwich,...
Textile manufacturer and philanthropist. His family fled from France after the Nazi occupation and he was naturalised as a British subject on 1 November 1948. In 1986 he merged his Nottingham Manuf...
Formerly known as the Midland Railway Basin (though we could find nothing under thatn name). Opened as a coal wharf.  1958 converted to a pleasure craft area.  Now home to the St Pancras Cruising C...
Set up to run the Abney Park cemetery in Stoke Newington (see Abney House and Park), this company also ran the Chingford Mount cemetery. It went into administration in the 1970s.Â
Founded as the London and Westminster Bank, it was the first firm founded under the Bank Charter Act of 1833. It wasn't until 1923 that it became known solely as the Westminster Bank. Its merger wi...
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