In 1860, Fredrick Walton invented linoleum the home floor covering.
In 1860, rubber manufacturer Fredrick Walton invented linoleum, the floor and wall covering often used in Victorian homes. Three years later, Walton received a British patent for his invention. Fredrick Walton was inspired to invent linoleum as a cheap substitute for the more expensive rubber composition called Kamptulicon. Walton got the idea for his product by observing the skin produced by oxidized linseed oil that forms on paint.

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If this subject interests you, I bought and can recommend this book:   Linoleum, by Jane Powell.  You can see it for sale here,  or at Amazon.com.  You may find it at your local library, too.