The world lost another great thinking mind on last Saturday. John Shepherd-Barron the man who is credited for the invention of the first automatic teller machine died at the age of 84.

Reports claim that he was keeping ill for some time and has died of natural causes. John Shepherd-Barron breathed his last at the Raigmore hospital in northern Scotland. The news of the death of the Scotsman was confirmed by the funeral director Alasdair Rhind.

John Shepherd-Barron is credited for the invention of the first automatic hole-in-the-wall cash machine. He went on to think of such a machine when he was one day locked out of his bank.


Back in 2007 John Shepherd-Barron had reportedly told to a media source during an interview that he started thinking of a way by which he could obtain his own money even when the business hours of the bank is over.

He said that he tried to think hard of a way in which he could get his own money not only from his own bank but also from anywhere in the whole United Kingdom. It is then that the idea of a chocolate bar dispenser struck him, what he did was, he only replaced the chocolate with the cash.


The invention of the first automatic teller machine was commissioned by Barclays. It was installed in 1967 at one of the London banks and paid 10 pounds at a time to the user.



Though since then the machine had seen many improvements and has spread its wings all over the world, the contribution of John Shepherd-Barron will always remain a part of history.