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When was the first match made?
Question
#22406. Asked by Sam. (Sep 05 02 7:37 PM)
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Tabby Tom
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The New Shell Book of Firsts says: The first friction match was invented in 1826 by John Walker, a chemist of 59 High Street, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham. The discovery was accidental, as Walker's original intention was to produce a readily combustible material for fowling-pieces.. His first match was a stick which he had been using to stir a mixture of potash and {antimony;} it burst into flame when he scraped it against the stone floor to remove the blob on the end. The earliest recorded purchaser of a box of matches as a Mr Hixon, a Stockton solicitor, and the transaction is entered in Walker's daybook for 7 April 1827. The price was 1s for 100 matches plus 2d for the tine tube in which they were packed.
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