91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Person    | Male  Born 14/12/1854  Died 29/10/1901

John Kemp Starley

Categories: Commerce, Engineering

John Kemp Starley

Inventor and industrialist, who sold the first recognizably modern bicycle. Starley went into business with William Sutton, with the intention of producing bicycles that were safe and easy to use. First sold in 1885 under the brand name 'Rover', the bicycle was a rear-wheel-drive, chain-driven cycle with two similar-sized wheels, making it more stable than the previous high wheeler designs.

For comparison see Denis Johnson and his hobby-horse bicycle.

Our , albeit in French, has some lovely images.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
John Kemp Starley

Commemorated ati

John Kemp Starley

This plaque was erected between 2015 and 2018. We think this coincided with t...

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Other Subjects

Cornhill market

Cornhill market

Cornhill was apparently the only market allowed to be held after noon in the 14th century.  Stow reports Cornhill holding a corn-market (not surprisingly) but also old clothes being sold there.

Event, Commerce

1 memorial
David Norman

David Norman

Businessman and management consultant. He has held posts at many companies, and has been chairman of the Royal Ballet School and the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. This photo comes from the Kew A...

Person, Commerce, Dance, Gardens / Agriculture, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Barclays Bank

Barclays Bank

The bank's origins go back to the goldsmith bankers John Freame and Thomas Gould. James Barclay joined the business in 1736. After various name permutations, it became Barclay and Co. in 1896. As o...

Group, Commerce

3 memorials
St Katharine Docks

St Katharine Docks

SKDocks gives a brief introduction to the history of the area. A London Inheritance have done their usual thorough job with lots of images. In the 1976 film To the Devil a Daughter Richard Widmark...

Group, Commerce, Tourism / Traditions

4 memorials
Henry Shrubsole

Henry Shrubsole

Banker, draper and former mayor of Kingston upon Thames: 1877, 1878 and 1879. At an annual dinner given for the poor, he had just finished his speech and was in the act of presenting a small packet...

Person, Commerce, Politics & Administration

1 memorial