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
Hugh Percival Wilkins
Amateur astronomer, mechanical engineer and civil servant. Born in Carmarthen, he was known as Hugh Percy. He was elected to the British Astronomical Association in 1918, and was director of its Lu...
Person, Engineering, Politics & Administration, Science, Wales
Robert Brown
Botanist. Born Montrose, Scotland. Librarian and curator of Joseph Banks' collection in Soho Square from 1810, and on Banks' death in 1820 Brown inherited the library and collection and was provid...
Sir Richard Arkwright
Industrialist and inventor. From Preston. Set up a factory with a newly designed method of cotton-spinning. He worked his employees, including children, very hard and became very rich.
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. ...
Patrick Blackett
Physicist. Born Kensington, Served in the navy in WW1. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1948. Government and military advisor in WW2. Created a life peer in 1969 as Baron Blackett of Chelsea....

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