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electrical engineer, and his
brother William, both of the
Rowsley Arms Hotel, Beswick. It
was designed for them by the
patent engineers R. James
Urquhart & Bolle at 57 Deansgate
(i.e. Barton Arcade) in central
Manchester where several
cycle and motor agents were
soon to be found. With a tubular
steel frame and walnut body by
Cockshoot it was said to have
two cylinders of 6" and a tin carburetor.
Also active in 1895–96
was F. Clarke of New Moston.
He made a two-cylinder engine
bolted onto a bicycle wheel.
Measuring 2 3 ⁄4" x 6" and geared
1:1 it propelled the bicycle in a
series of jerks when tested in August
1896. The device was displayed
in 1912 when the
short-lived Museum of Historic
Vehicles was formed in London.
And there was also the Marshall
which started life as a Benzbased
French Hurtu, and later
became the Belsize, made at
Belsize Works, Clayton from
early 1899. Marshall & Co. had
bought the Belsize Cycle Company’s
works in 1897. Two Marshalls
completed the 1900 Trial.
In 1906 the company was floated
and expanded rapidly.
In 1897 John Edward Thorn-
ton (1865–1940), who was well-known for his
Thornton-Pickard camera company in Altrincham,
established the Thornton Motor Co.
Ltd. at Worsley Mills off Egerton Street in
Hulme. This was very close to Royce’s own
works and here Thornton made at least two
Thornton three-wheel forecars by 1900, using
an engine of his own design. Another threewheel
forecar was the Century Tandem aircooled
23 ⁄4 hp in 1899 made by the talented
Ralph Jackson and Arthur Firth of the Century
Engineering & Motor Co. at Oakfield
Road, Altrincham (coincidentally the street
where Thornton lived). This later became the
well-known three-wheel Eagle Runabout
from 1903.
George Hindle was a well-known owner of a
single-cylinder Imperial, made by W. Turner’s
cycle shop at 291 Stretford Road (again very
close to Royce). By 1900, now known as the
Imperial Autocar Manufacturing Co. Ltd. of
Erskine Street, Hulme and later at Rusholme
until 1905, a 7 hp tonneau was in preparation
for the February 1901 show. Also near Royce
was the Trafford Motor Co. at Christ Church
Square, Hulme. From at least 1901 they made
bodies and wheels for cars. Other companies
The Hon. Charles S. Rolls photographed in 1903 and thus as Royce would have
met him.
list Harry Lawson and the Coventry
Motor Co., formed Accles-
Turrell Autocars Ltd. in January
1900 at Brown Street, Manchester.
Pollock & Macnab Ltd. in
nearby Ashton-under-Lyne were
the actual makers until Thomas
Pollock branched into other engineering
with J.G. Accles. By 1902
the Turrell was being made in
Manchester by the Autocar Construction
Co. Ltd. of Openshaw
and called the Hermes. It was
now a 15 hp 2-cylinder with four
speeds. The company also sold
the Saracen 5 hp steam engine.
The Empress car was being made
in Manchester by Frank Smith
from at least 1901 and was sold by
the wonderfully-named Mr. F.
Zorilla.
Two local industrialists, Frank
J. and Harry Gresham of Gresham
& Craven crane makers,
had an experimental chassis built
in 1901 called the Heatley-Gresham,
designed by H. Heatley of
London. It was fitted with Cockshoot’s
first motor body (number
6356), a rear entrance tonneau.
(However, a claim is also made
that Cockshoot’s first body was on
the 1895 Holland car.) Apart from
Rolls-Royce the best known motorcar
maker associated with
Manchester was Crossley of
announced their plans but subsequent devel- Openshaw, stationary engine makers. Alopments
are sketchy. For example, in Februthough their motorcars did not appear until
ary 1899 it was announced that Baxendale & the February 1904 show it is clear they were
Co. of Miller Street in the city were to make building their first cars from late 1903, in the
motor tricycles. And The Autocar for May 27,
1899 revealed that
Sir W.H. Bailey &
Sons of Bridgewater
Canal Works in Salford
were to make
motors.
A slightly less
early car was the Turrell
from late 1900.
This was a 7 hp 2cylinderhorizontallyopposed,
based on
the Accles-Turrell of
Perry Bar, Birmingham,
and with what
same period that Royce was experimenting.
J.O.H. Norris of
Cockshoot recalled
as a comic gearbox.
Charles McRobie The 1897 Marshall 3
Turrell, the engineer
and insurance consultant
formerly with
the motor monopo-
1 ⁄2 hp made in Manchester and based on the French
Hurtu. The belt drive would not have appealed to Royce. His partner Claremont
soon took the sister of the car’s designer as his mistress and thus the partners
might have known quite a bit about the progress of the Marshall. The car
shown was owned by Sam Okell of Bowdon southwest of Manchester.
©Rolls Royce
Owners Owners Club Club
7268 THE FLYING LADY March/April 2004
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Bassano photograph, Black & White Magazine 1903
Courtesy of Mrs. C. Okell-Jones