When this poor kid began tinkering with engines, nobody could have guessed that he would one day create some of the most expensive cars in the world. This is the story of Frederick Henry Royce, born in 1863 in Alwalton, England. Henry was the youngest of five children and his parents, James and Mary, ran a flower mill. Despite James following in his father’s footsteps, the family lived in poverty due to his lack of business skills. In 1867, they were forced to file for bankruptcy and moved to London in search of a better life.
Despite these early struggles, Henry never lost his passion for engineering. At the young age of four, he started his first job as a bird scarer on a local farm for a weekly pay of six pence. After his father’s passing in 1872, Henry had to contribute to the family’s finances by selling newspapers and delivering telegrams. Despite only completing one year of school, Henry educated himself in algebra, French, and electrical engineering and began an apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway Works at the age of 15. However, he was forced to quit three years later due to a lack of money.
Henry continued to work in the engineering field, briefly at a tool-making company in Leeds and then for the Electric Light and Power Company in London. In 1882, he moved to Liverpool and continued to work for the Electric Light and Power Company. At the age of 22, he started a business with his friend and fellow engineer, Ernest Claremont. The company, FH Royce and Company, was focused on creating electrical components such as doorbells and dynamos. With hard work and determination, the company expanded and by 1894, they were already making electric cranes.
However, Henry’s true passion was for motor cars. He had a vision of creating the finest cars in the world and his hard work paid off when he teamed up with Charles Stewart Rolls in 1904. Charles, born in 1877 in London’s affluent Berkeley Square, was the youngest child of Lord and Lady Langatak. He had developed a passion for engineering from a young age and studied mechanical engineering at Trinity College in Cambridge. He gained a reputation for tinkering with engines and was the first undergraduate to own a motor car.
After graduation, Charles worked on a steam yacht and then at the London and Northwestern Railway. However, his true passion was for motoring, pioneering, and salesmanship. With financial support from his father, he opened one of the first car dealerships in Britain in 1903, CS Rolls and Co. He was an avid motorist, racer, and aviator, dedicating himself to importing and selling Pujo and Minerva cars.
The partnership of Royce and Rolls proved to be a success, with the creation of the Rolls-Royce brand. The brand’s reputation for luxury and quality quickly grew and it became synonymous with elegance and style. The company continued to innovate and push the boundaries of what was possible in the automobile industry. Today, Rolls-Royce remains one of the most recognizable and prestigious car brands in the world.
In conclusion, the rise of Frederick Henry Royce and Charles Stewart Rolls is a testament to the power of perseverance and determination. Despite facing many hardships and obstacles, these two men never lost sight of their vision and went on to create one of the most iconic brands in the world. Their story serves as an inspiration to all of us to never give up on our dreams and to always strive for excellence in everything we do.
Its crazy that Charles had the idea to make aero engines but Henry refused because today, Rolls Royce actually make most of the engines for private jets and a few commercial jets.
What a great story! I wish the makers of this story would mention more about the aviation side of the company and how the Rolls Royce Merlin engine help the Allies win the Second World War.
Many years ago I heard the story of Henry Royce.
The article in — I think it was BOYS’ LIFE — suggested it would be more appropriate to call the modern models a Royce rather than a Rolls. I always have.
The agreement to sell as many cars as Royce could build is similar to the Studebaker Brothers’ deal, Peter vowed to build as many horse-drawn wagons as Henry and Clement could build and H&C agreed to build as many as Peter could build. John and another brother whose name escapes me at the moment became involved early on. John (an adventurous soul who had been lured to California during the gold rush) kicked $5000 into the venture, and Studebaker remained the biggest maker of horse-drawn vehicles, with worldwide distribution, until 1920, and for a time in the 1900s was the biggest automobile manufacturer in the world until another Henry started building that infernal Model T.
Henry was English. His company was in England. But Rolls Royce is a British company. All UK corporations are federally incorporated. People from outside the UK are often unaware that England, Great Britain, and The UK are not the same thing. England is a country that has it’s own local government just like a state does in the US. The UK is four united countries, like the 50 united states in the US. Britain is the colloquial name for the UK. If in doubt, say The UK or Britain.
Rolls Royce now makes engines for massive planes…looks like rolls got what he wanted even after his passing. Both men went out succeeding in life. Rolls might not have seen how the company fully turned out but he for sure got to what many would have wished for and thats flying planes. Golden age id say of planes.
As a young teenager in the 60s I lived next to a launderette, the owner owned three Rolls-Royce cars and my brother used to earn a bit of pocket money by washing a polishing them once a week or so.
The owner took a trip to the south of France but on the second day of his trip the engine developed a problem and stopped. He phoned a rolls-royce dealership who promptly sent out two mechanics who brought with them a new engine the owner stopped in a hotel overnight and the following day could continue his holiday.
After coming back to England he waited for a few weeks thinking about the bill for the repair as he had no invoice from them. He phoned Rolls Royce and said how much do I owe you for the repair work on my car the reply he got was you must be mistaken sir our cars don’t break down and he never got a repair bill.
This is an amazing story, success comes to does who look for it. Most times, it amazes me greatly how I moved from an average lifestyle to earning over $63k per month, Utter shock is the word. I have come to realize a lot in the past few years that there are lots of opportunities in the financial market. The only thing is to know where to invest.