David Foster (inventor)

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David Foster
Born1848 (1848)
Kingston upon Hull, England
Died1928 (aged 79–80)
London, England

David Foster was an English inventor, best known for creating an early version of table tennis.

Contents

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] [ better source needed ]

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] [ unreliable source? ] Despite James Devonshire having already made a patent in 1885, he ended up abandoning it, making Foster the official creator. [3] [ unreliable source? ]

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

  1. 1 2 "David Foster, Table Tennis pioneer in Selby". selbycivicsociety. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
  2. ↑ "The Complete History of Table Tennis". hbhomefurnishing. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
  3. ↑ "History of Table Tennis: How the Wonderful Sport Came to Be". tabletennisspot. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
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