Sir Henry Royce 1933

Sir Henry Royce died eighty years ago today.

 

 

Born on the 27th of March 1863 (one hundred and fifty years ago) in Awalton, Huntingtonshire to James and Mary.

Died on the 22nd of April 1933.

 

When his father's flour mill business failed they moved to London. James Royce died there and Henry (the youngest of five children) had to sell newspapers for W.H. Smiths and deliver telegrams for the Post Office in Mayfair, having only had one year of formal schooling.

In 1878 he then moved on to an apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway with the financial help of an Aunt.

He moved on to a tool company in Leeds, then joined The Electric Light and Power Generator Company, and finally the Lancashire Maxim-Weston Electric Company.

 

In 1884 he started an electrical business (using his twenty Pounds Sterling worth of savings) with Earnest Claremont (often referred to as the 'Hyphen' in Rolls-Royce, by the way) in Hulme, Manchester.

 

'F.H.Royce and Company'.

 

He was fascinated with all things mechanical and after purchasing a 1901 Decauville car he decided he could vastly improve this car.

 

Oh, and he did just that. Here is the first Royce car :

 

  (RROC photo)

 

The rest is history...

 

I'm sure he knew his name would last on as the ultimate in Motorcars.

 

This statue stands on Moore Lane, Derby.

 

 

Sir Henry Royce OBE, first baronet of Seaton.

One of the world's finest engineers.

His name will live on forever.

 

 

(Posted by David Irvine - Australia time zone, by the way))