Editing Beith (section)

===Henry Faulds===
[[Henry Faulds]], the originator of the concept of forensic use of [[fingerprint]]ing, was born in Beith in 1843. A well-travelled man, he explained the suitability of [[fingerprint]]ing for the identification of criminals and also wrote to [[Charles Darwin]] to forward his ideas. The letter was never published and he died in 1930, aged 86, bitter at the lack of recognition he had received for his work. His work in [[Japan]] is remembered by a memorial stone in [[Tokyo]].<ref name="Faulds Tokyo Memorial">{{cite web|url=http://www.oninonin.com/fp/faulds_memorial.html|title=Henry Faulds' Memorial in Japan|first=Ed|last=German|access-date=10 April 2010|archive-date=7 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207064654/http://www.oninonin.com/fp/faulds_memorial.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2007 a memorial was also placed in view in ''Woolstanton'' near to St Margaret's churchyard, where he was laid to rest.<ref name=Faulds>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/faulds_henry.shtml|title=BBC - History - Henry Faulds|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

On 12 November 2004 a substantial memorial stone with interpretation plaques were dedicated to his memory in Beith town centre close to the site of the house in New Street where he was born.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Garnock Valley Family History Group|year=2015|title=Henry Faulds. Pioneer of Fingerprinting 1843-1930|publisher=Beith Cultural & Historical society|page= 10}}</ref>