raleigh advert 1940.
nearly 2 years later, 11 april 1887 issue of nottingham evening post contained display advertisement raleigh ‘safety’ model under new banner ‘woodhead, angois, , ellis. russell street cycle works.’ william ellis had joined partnership , provided much-needed financial investment. woodhead , angois, ellis’s background in lace industry. lace gasser, service provider involved in bleaching , treating of lace, premises in nearby clare street , glasshouse street. ellis, bicycle works had expanded round corner raleigh street former lace works on adjoining road, russell street. 1888, company making 3 cycles week , employed around half dozen men. 1 of 15 bicycle manufacturers based in nottingham @ time.
frank bowden, recent convert cycling on medical advice had toured extensively on tricycle, first saw raleigh bicycle in shop window in queen victoria street, london, time william ellis’s investment in cycle workshop beginning take effect. bowden described how led him visiting raleigh works:
″in part of 1887, while looking specimen of new safety bicycle, came across raleigh in london. patent changeable gear , other special features struck me superior others had seen, , purchased 1 upon toured extensively through france, italy , england during 1887 , 1888. in autumn of latter year, happening pass through nottingham, , idea of, if possible, getting still more up-to-date machine, called upon messrs. woodhead , angois, originators , makers of raleigh …″
it clear frank bowden’s own account that, although bought raleigh ‘safety’ in 1887, did not visit raleigh workshop until autumn 1888. visit led bowden replacing ellis partnership’s principal investor, though bowden did not become outright owner of firm. concluded company had profitable future if promoted innovative features, increased output, cut overhead costs , tailored products individual tastes , preferences of customers. bought out william ellis’s share in firm , allotted 5,000 £1 shares, while woodhead , angois between them held 5,000 shares.
in frank bowden s own lifetime, raleigh publicity material stated firm founded in 1888, when bowden, himself confirmed, first bought enterprise. thus, raleigh s 30th anniversary celebrated in 1918. 1888 foundation date confirmed bowden s great-grandson, gregory houston bowden, states frank bowden began negotiate woodhead , angois , in december 1888 founded raleigh cycle company . december 1888 foundation date confirmed nottinghamshire archives. in recent years, raleigh company has cited 1887 foundation date but, whilst pre-dates bowden s involvement, raleigh brand name created woodhead , angois , enterprise can, demonstrated above, traced 1885.
raleigh usa head badge.
the company established bowden in december 1888 still privately owned unlimited public liability. in january 1889, became first of series of limited liability companies raleigh in name. had nominal capital of £20,000, half of provided frank bowden. paul angois appointed director responsible product design, richard woodhead made director responsible factory management, , frank bowden became chairman , managing director. shares made available small investors , local businessmen, take-up minimal, , bowden ended buying of public shares. subsequently supplied virtually capital needed expand firm.
when frank bowden got involved enterprise, works comprised 3 small workshops , greenhouse. woodhead, angois , ellis, firm had expanded round corner raleigh street russell street, stood clarke’s five-storey former lace factory. enable further expansion of business, bowden financed renting of property , installation of new machinery.
under bowden s guidance, raleigh expanded rapidly. 1891, company occupied not clarke s factory woodroffe’s factory , russell street mills. in november 1892, raleigh signed tenancy agreement rooms in butler’s factory on other side of russell street. shortly after this, company occupied forest road mill. (forest road junctions russell street @ opposite end raleigh street.)
bowden created business which, 1913, biggest bicycle manufacturing company in world, occupying 7 , half acres in purpose-built premises completed in 1897 @ faraday road, lenton, nottingham. subsequently became bigger.
sir frank bowden died in 1921 , son sir harold bowden, 2nd baronet took on chairman , chief executive, guiding company through next 17 years of expansion.
1930s raleigh lady s loop frame bicycle
humber cycles
there resurgence in domestic , export demand pedal bicycles , february 1932 raleigh had acquired humber limited trade marks. manufacture transferred raleigh s nottingham works. raleigh-made humbers differed raleighs in chainwheels, fork crowns , brakework.
during second world war, raleigh factory in nottingham used production of fuzes. bicycle production reduced approximately 5% of peacetime capacity.
in 1939, raleigh opened bicycle factory @ 6 hanover quay, dublin, ireland , commenced bicycle production there. raleigh (ireland) business expanded , moved 8–11 hanover quay, dublin in 1943. plant produced complete bicycles , sturmey-archer hubs, , remained in production until 1976, when factory burned down. models produced there latterly chopper , triumph 20. head badges changed in late 1960s, possibly after passing of trade descriptions act in uk. dublin-made machines no longer had nottingham england on heron or triumph head badge, panel being left blank instead.
irish raleigh heron badge
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