James Sumner
James Sumner (1860-1924) of Leyland.
Descendant of Elias Sumner, a blacksmith at Leyland.
1860 Born at Leyland
1881 Living in Leyland aged 21, a blacksmith's hitter and with his parents Richard Sumner aged 51 and born in Leyland, a blacksmith employing 3 men and one boy; his wife Alice (age 48) and their children Ann (age 20), Margaret (age 10), Robert (age 8) and William (age 7). [1]
c1886 Built a steam wagon.[2]
c1891 Fined for speeding in his steam driven tricycle.[3]
1891 Living in Leyland age 31, a blacksmith and mechanic with his wife Mary (age 34), daughters Mary (age 5), Mary Alice (age 3) and son John (age 2). [4]
1892 James inherited the family business as a going engineering concern that could produce iron castings up to half a ton and brass castings up to half a hundredweight.
1894 Produced a steam wagon for carrying coal at the John Stanning and Son, bleach-works in Leyland. This made a journey from from Leyland to Ormskirk, some fifteen miles away. The flag boy was his brother William Sumner.
Fitted small twin-cylinder with oil-fired boiler in to a tricycle
Produced a steam driven lawnmower
1895 Produced a three-wheel 'horseless carriage' for William Theodore Carr of Carr and Co, a biscuit manufacturer, of Carlisle. Produced an improved version for the same person the following year.
The company J. Sumner Ltd was formed; later it became the Lancashire Steam Motor Co and then Leyland Motors
1897 October. Details of the steam autocar built for W. Theodore Carr.[5]
1901 Living in Leyland aged 41 as a steam engine maker. Living with wife Mary (age 44) and children Mary (age 15), Maya (age 13), John R. (age 12) and Elias (age 7). [6]
1919 He retires from the business as he increasingly becomes blind
1924 James Sumner dies
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1881 Census
- ↑ The Autocar 1896/04/18
- ↑ The Autocar 1896/04/18
- ↑ 1891 Census
- ↑ The Autocar 1897/10/16
- ↑ 1901 Census
- The First Fifty Years. Leyland Motors Ltd. Published in 1946.