David Foster (inventor)
David Foster | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1848 Kingston upon Hull, England |
| Died | 1928 (aged 79–80) London, England |
David Foster was an English inventor, best known for creating an early version of table tennis.
Early life
Foster was born in Kingston upon Hull in 1848. Since a young age he had a keen interest in the grocery trade and his family links led him to move to Selby in North Yorkshire in the 1880s.[1]
Career
In 1890 while living in Selby, Foster, influenced by lawn tennis (which at the time was popular in a lot of back gardens), filed a patent for his new sport in England. His original table tennis set consisted of strung rackets, a cloth-covered rubber ball, large side nets along the table, and a wooden fence surrounding the table's perimeter.[2] Despite James Devonshire having already made a patent in 1885, he ended up abandoning it, making Foster the official creator.[3]
After living in Selby for almost 40 years, Foster moved to Streatham, London, where he died in 1928 at the age of 80.[1]
References
- ^ a b "David Foster, Table Tennis pioneer in Selby". selbycivicsociety. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "The Complete History of Table Tennis". hbhomefurnishing. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "History of Table Tennis: How the Wonderful Sport Came to Be". tabletennisspot. Retrieved 13 September 2025.