Henry Royce – The Newsboy Who Became Sir

They say necessity sharpens the wits, and that’s a fitting starting point for the story of the man widely regarded as the father of one of the twentieth century’s most esteemed carmakers. Frederick Henry Royce, the youngest of five children, was born in Alwalton in Huntingdonshire. The family’s sole asset was a mill, which sustained them by grinding flour—until it failed, forcing a move to London.

Orphaned at nine, Henry had to fend for himself. He took odd jobs: first selling newspapers, then delivering telegrams. His industrious spirit paid off in 1878 when a wealthy uncle backed him to join the Great Northern Railway. But that venture ran out of funding, and once again he had to start over.

After a brief stint in Leeds making tools, Royce returned to London for a job with an electric lighting company. Before long he was transferred to Liverpool, where he oversaw street and theatre illumination.

By 1884, eager both to work hard and to stand on his own feet, Henry invested his life savings—twenty pounds—and persuaded his friend Ernest Claremont to contribute fifty more. With seventy pounds between them, they founded F.H. Royce & Co. in Manchester, producing domestic electrical appliances. The business did well, but Royce had loftier ambitions.

Mechanics stole his heart. In 1901 he bought first a De Dion, then a Decauville, but neither met his exacting standards. So he decided to build his own car. In a corner of his factory, day and night, he assembled a two-cylinder prototype bearing his name.

By 1904 he had three cars. One he gave to Claremont, and of the remaining two, one would make history. At a meeting in Manchester’s Midland Hotel, Charles Rolls—owner of a local car showroom—was so impressed that he agreed to buy them all. He placed only two conditions: the engine must expand from two cylinders to four, and the cars must carry the Rolls-Royce name.

That same year the Rolls-Royce 10 hp debuted at the Paris Motor Show, hailed as a triumph and followed by many more successes. Yet years of innovation and sacrifice took their toll on Henry’s already fragile health. In 1912, after a major operation, he was forbidden to visit the factory—despite having personally designed the new Derby offices just a few years earlier. Meticulous to a fault, he insisted on reviewing every project; the final word had to be his.

From his home, still determined, he turned his attention to aircraft engines, studying and perfecting them so thoroughly that, on 26 June 1930, he was created a baronet—Sir Henry Royce of Seaton.

Misfortune struck again in 1910 when an air accident claimed the life of his closest collaborator, the partner who handled public relations and finance and travelled the world to promote their vision. Without Rolls and his trusted ally, Royce assumed full control of the company—an all-consuming responsibility that nonetheless brought immense pride.

Perhaps his final crowning achievement was the acquisition of Bentley in 1931. Just two years later, on 22 April 1933, Henry Royce passed away. So enduring was his legacy that a stained-glass window was dedicated to him in Westminster Abbey—a rare honour for an engineer. His imprint on automotive history remains so profound that he sits among the giants in the Automotive Hall of Fame.