Based at Nottingham, Beeston, later Coventry.
Humber was a British manufacturer of bicycles, motorcycles and cars.
General
1868 Thomas Humber made his first cycle[1].
1875 Humber and Marriott formed
1878 Humber, Marriott and Cooper formed [2].
1885 Marriott and Cooper separated into their own company
1885 T. Harrison Lambert became a partner with Thomas Humber.
1887 April: Humber and Lambert agreed to sell the Humber business to William Horton [3].
1887 Humber and Co was formed to amalgamate 4 cycle businesses acquired by Horton and others [4] [5]:
- Humber and Co at Beeston,
- Coventry Cycle Co at Coventry,
- Express Cycle Works at Wolverhampton and
- Wellington Works at Coventry.
The directors listed as:
- W. Wallace Duncan Chairman of the Falcon Car and Engine Works,
- Arthur John Marten of Standing and Marten,
- Thomas Knox Holmes of Cadogan and Hansplace Estate and
- T. Harrison Lambert Humber and Co, Beeston
- Christopher N. Baker Chairman of the Coventry Cycle Co.
- Thomas Humber was General Manager.
1889 E. F. Johnson joined the company as clerk to M. D. Rucker
At some point, Humber needed more space and moved from its original factory, south of the railway station, to another location on the outskirts of the village, in a purpose-built factory [6].
1890 Case brought by Bown against Centaur Cycle Co, alleging infringement of patent; referred to earlier case against Humber; decision in favour of Centaur [7].
1892 When Thomas Humber retired Rucker was made General Manager. Backed by E. T. Hooley they opened subsidiary companies in the France, USA, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden and Russia.
1893 For many years all Marriott and Cooper machines were made for them by Rudge Cycle Co, of which Walter Phillips, an old professional racing colleague of Fred Cooper, was manager[8]. In April, Phillips left the Rudge Co. and joined Humber’s; after that time, Marriott and Cooper machines were built in the Humber factory.
1894 Around this time, G. P. Mills was chief designer at Beeston.
1896 The prototype Pennington was built under the supervision of T. W. Blumfield
1896 The Humber Extension Co was formed to handle the wholesale and retail departments of the business [9]. It later became apparent that the agreement to transfer these responsibilities as well as the goodwill of Marriott and Cooper had been sold for £5000 yet the combined enterprise had been sold to the Extension Company for £100,000; unsurprisingly, both Harry Lawson and E. T. Hooley had been involved in this scheme; the directors faced severe questions from the shareholders [10].
1896 Rucker and directors were dismissed. This was at/about the same time as major fire at the Coventry Works.
1896 Walter Phillips was Manager [11]
1897 At the 1897 Stanley Show they exhibited 'motor cycles, electric and oil'. The three electric-motor tandems are designed for pacing purposes. Also show a three-wheel motor carriage. [12]
1898 Hooley was bankrupted and the Humber company closed down their overseas operations.
1898 Advert: Humber and Co: manufacturers of the celebrated Humber cycles; Beeston-Humber cycles are recognised as the best; first use of aluminium tubes; Wolverhampton-Humber cycles are exact copies of those made at Beeston; Coventry-Humber cycles at prices within the reach of all [13].
1899 Marriott and Cooper was purchased by financial interests who combined it with the Humber Company and the Humber Extension Co and floated the combination as Humber Ltd.
1900 The company was registered as Humber Ltd on 27 March, to amalgamate the cycle manufacturing businesses of Humber and Co, and Humber and Co (Extension)[14]. Number of employees at Beeston about 2000[15].
1900 Humber Cycle Co closed its business in Great Brick kiln street, Wolverhampton and transferred the business to the works at Beeston, leading to a considerable increase in number of employees there [16].
1900 E. Powell appointed as Managing Director.
1906 Humber-Cordner 3-speed gear being fitted as standard to cycles at Beeston works [17].
1907 Beeston factory closed and business transferred to Coventry. About 3000 of the Beeston population moved to Coventry[18].
1909 Became a public company.
1910 February. Announced they were making monoplanes and biplanes at Coventry.
1926 Bought Commer Cars
1927 The AGM was told by S. Brotherhood, chairman, about progress by Humber and Commer Cars Ltd; Humber was making 3 models of cars[19]
1928 November. Formation of the Humber Combine by merging with Hillman. Head of the new concern was Lieut-Col. J. A. Cole (MD of Humber), Captain S. Wilkes (Joint MD of Hillman) and Captain J. Black (Joint MD of Hillman). Also on the board were S. Brotherhood and Sir Henry McMahon. Rootes who had handled the export sales provided the cash and owned 60% of the shares. [20] [21]
1931/2 Hillman and Humber were taken over by the Rootes Group. The cycle business sold to Raleigh.
1961 Listed as a subsidiary of Rootes Group and in turn owns Hillman. [22]
1961 Manufacturers of Humber, Hillman, Singer and Sunbeam cars, and Commer and Karrier commercial vehicles and diesel engines. [23]
Aeroplanes
Cars
See Humber: Cars
Cycles
See Humber: Cycles
Military
See Humber: Military
Motorcycles
Notes
- Coventry-Humber is mentioned at CWN (Coventry and Warwickshire Network) [1]
- The Grampian Transport Museum has a Beeston Humber
- Beeston Humbers are discussed in Motor Cyclists on Tour, 1903 [2]
- Humber 1903 Advertisement [3]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, Dec 08, 1927
- ↑ The Times, 9 February 1898
- ↑ The Morning Post, 17 June 1887
- ↑ The Morning Post, 17 June 1887
- ↑ The Times, Saturday, Jun 18, 1887
- ↑ http://www.beeston-notts.co.uk/industry.shtml
- ↑ The Times, 21 November 1890
- ↑ Bartleet's Bicycle Book
- ↑ The Graphic, 5 March 1898
- ↑ The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, 24 November 1899
- ↑ The Times, Tuesday, Sep 29, 1896
- ↑ The Autocar. 27th November 1897
- ↑ The Times, 9 February 1898
- ↑ The Stock Exchange Year Book 1908
- ↑ http://www.beeston-notts.co.uk/industry.shtml
- ↑ The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, 31 August 1900
- ↑ The Times, 6 April 1906
- ↑ http://www.beeston-notts.co.uk/industry.shtml
- ↑ The Times, Dec 08, 1927
- ↑ The Times, Wednesday, Nov 21, 1928
- ↑ The Times, Monday, Nov 21, 1949
- ↑ 1961 Guide to Key British Enterprises: Motor, Motor-Cycle and Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers
- ↑ 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE
- [4] Wikipedia
- Trademarked. A History of Well-Known Brands - from Aertex to Wright's Coal Tar by David Newton. Pub: Sutton Publishing 2008 ISBN 978-0-7509-4590-5