The first friction matchstick was invented in England by John Walker in 1827, after years of experimentation. Walker was a chemist/druggist by trade who had apprenticed under surgeons but found himself unable to handle the sight of blood or operations (John Walker – Inventor of the Friction Matches (historyofmatches.com)). He created the prototype for matches with cardboard sticks in the early 1820s and began selling a version of them in 1824, finding them immediately popular (John Walker – Inventor of the Friction Matches (historyofmatches.com)).
The prototype sticks were tipped with a mixture of chemicals that burst into flame when scratched against a rough surface, and Walker found he could ignite the stick by drawing the head through a piece of sandpaper when the mixture was dried.
The design was ultimately imperfect, causing damage to carpets and clothes, so that he Walker abandoned hope of patenting his invention. Sir Isaac Holden, in 1829, invented an improved version of Walker’s match which was later patended by Samuel Jones as “lucifer matches”.
For more info:
Heroes, Heroines, and History: The History of Matches (hhhistory.com)
John Walker – British Matchbox Label and Bookmatch Society (phillumeny.com)
Thanks for this information. I first read Gone with the Wind when I was 15. When Rhett Butler strikes match, I wondered then, and have wondered since, whether it was an anachronism. Looks like he could have had a match, but it would be a rare and expensive item.
So glad it was helpful! And what an eye for history for you to have noticed that detail at a young age.