1822 -- 1873
Robert Thomson was born in Stonehaven in 1822. He is best known for inventing the vulcanised rubber pneumatic tyre which he patented in 1845. Among
his many other inventions, he also patented the fountain pen in 1849 and developed a technique for electrically firing explosive charges. In 1922 the Royal
Scottish Automobile Club presented Stonehaven with a bronze plaque to mark the centenary of Robert William Thomson's birth. His memory is kept fresh
annually by a vintage car rally held in June on the Market Square in the town centre directly opposite the site of the house where he was born.
Thomson died at the early age of 50, at his home in Moray Place, Edinburgh, in 1873. |
