Robert Davidson

Life & Legacy

Robert Davidson (18 April 1804 – 16 November 1894) was a Scottish inventor who built the first known electric four wheeled car in 1839 and in 1842 the first known electric locomotive.
He was a lifelong resident of Aberdeen, northeast Scotland, where he was a prosperous chemist and dyer, amongst other ventures. Davidson was educated at Marischal College, where he studied second and third year classes from 1819-1821, including lectures from Professor Patrick Copland. He got this education in return for being a lab assistant.
In the 1820s, he set up in business close to the Aberdeen-Inverurie Canal, at first supplying yeast, before becoming involved in the manufacture and supply of chemicals.
He became interested in the new electrical technologies of the day. From 1837, he made small electric motors on his own principles.