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John Walker the inventor of the first friction match in 1826.

01 May 2026

Each month we use objects and photos from our museums in the Tees Valley to take a closer look at the lives and stories from people in our area.

This month we look at the life of John Walker, one of the most prolific people who lived in Stockton and inventor of the friction match in 1826. John’s invention paved the way for making light and heat on-the-go, all from his humble chemists’ shop on Stockton High Street.

 

 

In this pack, we take a closer look at the life of John Walker and celebrate the 200th  anniversary  of  his invention of the first friction match (1826).

an image of John Walkers chemist shop in Stockton

This activity pack contains images, discussion points and activities for you that we hope you enjoy.

 

Download your pack here: https://teesvalleymuseums.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Talking-Tees-Valley-Pack-John-Walker-and-the-Friction-Match-logo.docx.

Downlaod your PDF Version here:Talking-Tees-Valley-Pack-John-Walker-and-the-Friction-Match-logo-1.pdf

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