Who built an early hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell in 1839?

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Diagram of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell showing labeled layers, including flow field plates, electrodes, and the proton exchange membrane, with arrows indicating hydrogen and oxygen inputs, electricity generation, and water and heat as outputs. — fuel cell Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell
The proton exchange membrane is one of the most advanced fuel cell designs. Hydrogen gas under pressure is forced through a catalyst, typically made of platinum, on the anode (negative) side of the fuel cell. At this catalyst, electrons are stripped from the hydrogen atoms and carried by an external electric circuit to the cathode (positive) side. The positively charged hydrogen ions (protons) then pass through the proton exchange membrane to the catalyst on the cathode side, where they react with oxygen and the electrons from the electric circuit to form water vapour (H₂O) and heat. The electric circuit is used to do work, such as power a motor.

The British physicist William Grove is credited with building an early hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell in 1839.1

While some historical accounts note that Grove further developed this invention—which he termed a "gas battery"—into a more refined device by 1842, his initial work utilizing hydrogen and oxygen as fuels catalyzed on platinum electrodes occurred in 1839. This device demonstrated the process of generating an electric current through the chemical combination of hydrogen and oxygen, effectively reversing the process of water electrolysis.213