Science and invention in Estate Records
The owners of Hertfordshire’s estates have included some known for their outstanding scientific, enquiring and inventive minds, and others more for their eccentricity! 3rd Earl Cowper was a friend of Alessandro Volta the Italian physicist who gave the name ‘volt’ to a unit of electricity. Through collections held by Hertfordshire Archives you can discover the remarkable achievements of men like Thomas Dimsdale, an early inoculator against smallpox, and understand more about local landmarks such as the design and construction of Digswell viaduct.
