John Kemp Starley (24 December 1855 – 29 October 1901) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

inventor and

industrialist A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through per ...

who is widely considered the inventor of the modern

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. B ...

, and also originator of the name

Rover Rover may refer to: People * Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian * Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer * Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist Places * Rover, Arkansas, US * Rover, Missouri, US * ...

Early life

Born on 24 December 1855 Starley lived on Church Hill,

Walthamstow Walthamstow ( or ) is a large town in east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London and the ancient county of Essex. Situated northeast of Charing Cross, the town borders Chingford to the north, Snaresbrook and Sout ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. He was the son of a gardener, John Starley, and Mary Ann (née Cippen).Biography at Vestry House Museum, Walthamstow In 1872 he moved to

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...

to work with his uncle

James Starley James Starley (21 April 1830 – 17 June 1881) was an English inventor and father of the bicycle industry. He was one of the most innovative and successful builders of bicycles and tricycles. His inventions include the differential gear and t ...

, an inventor. He worked with his uncle and William Hillman for several years building Ariel cycles.

Career

In 1877, he started a new business ''Starley & Sutton Co'' with William Sutton, a local cycling enthusiast. They set about developing bicycles that were safer and easier to use than the prevailing

penny farthing The penny-farthing, also known as a high wheel, high wheeler or ordinary, is an early type of bicycle. It was popular in the 1870s and 1880s, with its large front wheel providing high speeds (owing to its travelling a large distance for every r ...

or "ordinary" bicycles. They started by manufacturing

tricycle A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) three-wheeled vehicle. Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for passenger transport) and freight trikes ...

s, and by 1883 their products were being branded as "Rover". In 1885, Starley made history when he produced the Rover Safety Bicycle. The ''Rover'' was a rear-wheel-drive, chain-driven cycle with two similar-sized wheels, making it more stable than the previous high wheeler designs. ''

Cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from ...

'' magazine said the Rover had "set the pattern to the world" and the phrase was used in their advertising for many years. Thinktank Birmingham - Starley

In 1889, the company became ''J. K. Starley & Co. Ltd'' and in the late 1890s, it had become the Rover Cycle Company Ltd.

Death

Starley died suddenly on 29 October 1901, and was succeeded as managing director of the firm by Harry Smyth. Soon after Starley's death the

company began building

motorcycles A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

and then cars.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Starley, John Kemp 1854 births 1901 deaths English inventors Rover Company British cycle designers British motorcycle pioneers British founders of automobile manufacturers Sustainable transport pioneers 19th-century British businesspeople

Early life

Career

Death

See also

References