Edwin Beard Budding was an engineer from Stroud who invented both the first lawn mower and the adjustable spanner. It is widely believed that the design for the lawn mower was influenced by Budding's work in a textile mill where he saw a machine that trimmed the surface of woollen cloth. This idea was later used in his first patent registered in 1830.
To learn more about the introduction of lawnmowers, please click here to go to the Historical Profile article: www.parksandgardens.ac.uk/274/explore-31/historical-profiles-176/people-at-the-cutting-edge%3a-lawnmower-designers-483.html
Sources:
"Lawn Mower," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2008, http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761590285/Lawn_Mower.html [Accessed 05/01/09]