James Prescott Joule

Born in New Bailey Street in 1818, Joule became a notable physicist who established the principles of the mechanical equivalent of heat. His name was given to the unit of energy, the Joule. He later moved to Acton Square.

The letter 'J' on the harness is a tribute to Joule. He studied the nature of heat, and discovered its relationship to mechanical work. This led to the law of conservation of energy, which in turn led to the development of the first law of thermodynamics.