An accidental discovery

On 7 April 1827, from his shop at 59, High Street, Stockton in Tees, John Walker sold something that he recorded in his sales book as ‘Sulphurata Hyper-Oxygenata Frict’. It was not the most easy-to-remember name for a product.

On 7 September 1827 he recorded another sale – this time describing the item sold as ‘friction lights’.

Apart from three recorded sales during 1828 under the name of ‘attrition lights’ all other recorded sales were for ‘friction lights’.

John Walker was selling what we now call ‘matches’.