Edwin Beard Budding, an English engineer from Stroud, Gloucestershire, invented and patented the first lawn mower in 1830.
Key facts
- Budding designed the mower as a superior alternative to the scythe for maintaining sports grounds and large gardens, receiving a British patent on 31 August 1830.
- His first machine was a 19-inch-wide, wrought-iron, rear-roller-driven reel mower that collected clippings in a front tray, a layout recognizably similar to modern reel mowers.
- Early production and licensing were done in partnership with John Ferrabee, with some of the first units going to Regent’s Park Zoological Gardens and Oxford colleges.
Context and legacy
- Budding’s mower was inspired by a textile mill device that used a cylindrical blade to trim cloth nap, adapted to cut grass when mounted in a wheeled frame.
- The invention catalyzed the development of modern grass sports surfaces and contributed to the formalization of rules for games like football and lawn tennis due to more consistent playing fields.
Additional notes
- In the United States, the first patent for a reel lawn mower was granted later, to Amariah Hills in 1868, reflecting the spread and evolution of the technology beyond Britain.
