Daniel Albone
Daniel (Dan) Albone (1860-1906) of Ivel Agricultural Motors and Ivel Cycle Co
Albone was an English inventor, manufacturer and cyclist. He invented the worlds first successful light farm tractor, and the Ivel Safety bicycle.
1860 September 12th. Born at Biggleswade, Bedfordshire to Edward and Edith Albone. The youngest of eight children, they lived at the Ongley Arms Inn, in Shortmead Street, between the Great North Road and the River Ivel.
1864 His father Edward died aged 43
For his ninth birthday he received a Boneshaker bicycle, and so began his long association with cycling.
1873 By the age of 13, he had designed and built his own bicycle, complete with suspension, and was winning local races.
On leaving school, he undertook an apprenticeship with a Biggleswade firm of millwrights and engineers, Thomas Course and Son of Hitchin Street.
1880 Started the Biggleswade and District Bicycle Club
1881 Living at the Ongley Arms Hotel, Shortmead Street, Biggleswade (age 20 born Biggleswade), Wheelwright and Engineer. With his widowed mother and siblings. [1]
1886 Founder member of the North Road Cycling Club, dedicated to cycle racing. It attracted other national cycling champions, such as George Pilkington Mills and Monty Holbein.
Dan won over 180 cycling prizes, including winner of the:
- 1885 two mile open at Oundle, Northamptonshire.
- 1885 one mile open handicap at Crystal Palace, London.
- 1887 one mile open and two mile open at Oundle, Northamptonshire.
- 1888 International Tricycle scratch race, Scheveningen, Netherlands.
1887 Dan Albone married Elizabeth Martha Moulden (1860-1936) in August 1887. They had two children, Stanley Dan (1889-1913) and Alwyne Patricia Edwards (1900-1954).
1890 Listed in Bigglewade 'Publicans. Ivel. Daniel Albone, Shortmead Street, Biggleswade' [2]
1891 Living at Ivel Hotel, Shortmead Street, Biggleswade (age 30 born Biggleswade), Cycle Manufacturer and Inn Keeper, Employer. With his wife Elizabeth (age 25 born Hitchin) and their son Stanley (age 2 born Biggleswade). Also two visitors and two borders: James Moulden (age 22 born Hitchin) and George Moulden (age 18 born Hitchin) who were engineers in the cycle works. Also one servant. Note: From their surname, the two boarders appear to be his wife's brothers [3]
1898 Builds a motor car
1898 Listed in Biggleswade as 'Albone, Dan. Ivel Hotel, good accommodation for parties and cyclists; headquarters Biggleswade and District cycling Club. Shortmead Street.' and 'Albone, Dan. Maker of the Ivel cycles and motor cars, sole maker and patentee of the Ivel ball bearing carriage axles and boxes. Ivel Cycle Works.'[4]
1900 Shows his car at the 1900 Cycle Show (Stanley)
1901 Living at Ivel Hotel, Shortmead Street, Biggleswade (age 40 born Biggleswade), Cycle Manufacturer, Inn Keeper, Employer. With his wife Elizabeth (age 35 born Hitchin) and their children Stanley (age 12 born Biggleswade) and Alwyne E. (age 1 born Biggleswade). Also two servants. [5]
1906 October 30th. While at work, Dan suffered a stroke and died. He was buried in Biggleswade Cemetery on 2 November.
1906 Obituary [6]
See Also
Sources of Information
- Wikipedia
- The Ivel Story by John Moffitt. 2003. ISBN 0-9540222-6-2