John Walker (inventor)

John Walker ( born May 19, 1781 Stockton -on-Tees, England; † May 1, 1859 in Stockton -on-Tees ) was an English chemist. He invented in 1826 the match.

Walker discovered accidentally that a mixture of antimony (III ) sulfide and potassium chlorate is ignited by friction on a rough surface. He developed the matches on the sale of maturity and since 1827 he sold tin cans that contained a hundred pieces.

Since he was not patented his invention, numerous imitators displaced him from the market, of which Samuel Jones from London with his Lucifer is the best known.

John Walker had a good reputation locally as a botanist, he developed an interest in mineralogy and spent much time with chemical experiments. Walker never married and lived with his niece. He was known for his style of dress; He usually wore a large beaver hat, a white tie, gray socks, gray-brown knee-breeches and a brown skirt lap. He died in 1857 in Stockton -on-Tees and was buried in nearby Norton -on-Tees.