222:
562:
105:
19:
175:
54:
592:
26:
514:
632:
577:
539:
214:
115:
604:
620:
204:
The cycle industry was consolidating and Humber and
Lambert soon sold the business to speculators: William and Joseph Horton, Edward Alfred Hicks and Christopher Norris Baker, who added a number of other substantial cycle manufacturers and then floated the new combine on the stock exchange. Such was
95:
magazine in late 1868. He sold it and made an improved version—bought by the same buyer. It took him 2 months to make each velocipede, he was concerned to develop improvements: solid rubber tyres, ball-bearings, while maintaining quality and reliability. He instituted races to win public interest.
42:. Thomas Humber made himself a velocipede in 1868. From that time he built a substantial business in manufacturing tricycles and bicycles while continuously improving their design and construction. His products were so well-made and well-designed they were known as "the aristocrat among bicycles".
75:. Thomas Humber improved cycle technology through the independence of his thinking and his practical ability. The reliability of his products arose from his high standards and emphasis on quality. It all led to Humber becoming regarded as the aristocrat among bicycles.
195:
Thomas Humber took in a new partner, Nottingham lace bleacher dyer and finisher, T Harrison
Lambert, and they took charge of the whole Humber business and its Beeston works. Lambert was a cycle-racing friend building a reputation as a successful company promoter.
182:
Cooper and
Marriott left the firm in 1885 but Thomas let them have equal rights to the name Humber. He also let them use the old partnership's patents. They set themselves up as cycle wholesalers and later got
530:
known variously as "cross frames", "girder frames", or "truss frames". Their variant was also duplex, consisting in part of smaller side-by-side tubes similar to the duplex fork pictured on this page.
473:
A period of strong overseas expansion began in 1894 followed by an administrative separation of manufacturing from wholesaling and retailing. An 1896 joint venture with major French cycle companies,
465:
Thomas Humber agreed to manage the whole enterprise with its works in
Coventry and Wolverhampton as well as Beeston. Aged 51, Thomas Humber retired in 1892 at the end of his 5-year contract.
205:
the public's recognition of Humber products and their high quality and reliability the whole new organisation was named Humber & Co
Limited though Humber's was not the largest component.
484:
There was a cycling boom over 1895-97 —see the enthusiastic move into France— as pneumatic tyres attracted a new class of riders but it was followed by a slump over 1898-99.
506:
By 1914 Humber had become
Britain's second largest motorcar manufacturer and cycles became less important. In February 1932 renewed financial difficulties in part due to the
167:
joined them two years later. They named their new firm Humber, Marriott & Cooper. Their staff of 80 or so needed more factory space so they built them a new works at
1333:
45:
Though Thomas Humber retired from the cycle business in 1892 and went on to other things his brand name remained a high valued trademark for more than ninety years.
631:
930:
510:
and a brief surge in cycle sales saw Humber's cycle trademarks and patents sold to
Raleigh. Humber continued as a premium brand made by Raleigh into the 1960s.
561:
1115:
1338:
923:
221:
663:
916:
492:
Following these financial difficulties in 1899 Humber & Co
Limited's business was transferred to a new incorporation named
728:" (Humber & Co Limited) . . . at once becomes the most powerful combination in this growing and lucrative industry."
591:
469:
Humber and
Company (America) Limited, Humber and Company (France) Limited, Humber and Company (Extension) Limited etc.
1206:
749:
576:
975:
720:
1146:
104:
603:
1100:
714:
George
Townend's Wellington Works, Coventry, which held "a practical monopoly" of machines for juveniles
891:
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18:
168:
68:
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500:
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53:
25:
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based on a picture in a letter about the Paris-developed machine that was published in the
71:. By 1887, still under his day-to-day management, it was owned by a public listed company,
8:
1307:
1231:
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960:
691:
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120:
1141:
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Henri Loste, Champion du Midi, on a Humber bicycle with a Simpson lever chain c. 1894
753:
546:
In 1896 Humber produced the first practical motorcycle by fitting a bicycle with an
1246:
1171:
1080:
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980:
970:
547:
507:
127:
719:
Details such as production quantities were audited by London chartered accountant
513:
1302:
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1050:
130:", now commonly known as a "penny-farthing", appeared in 1871 and not long after
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725:* Humber alone made all the components for its machines instead of buying them
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Thomas Marriott joined Thomas Humber as a business partner in 1875 and
88:
84:
64:
870:
538:
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178:
Thomas Humber and T.H.Lambert on a Humber Tandem Tricycle, circa 1885
1120:
1055:
1025:
1020:
701:
134:'s metal ordinary. His first price-list contained a testimonial by
940:
690:
Thomas Humber and T Harrison Lambert trading as Humber & Co,
39:
150:(1884) with a diamond-shaped frame and wheels of similar size.
138:, a racing cyclist. Another racing contact was Thomas Marriott.
1110:
955:
695:
582:
209:
Production, deliveries and order book just before combination
228:
526:
Humber also manufactured, at one time, an unusual type of
99:
63:(1841–1910) founded a bicycle manufacturing business at
200:
Humber & Company Limited, public listed company
83:Thomas Humber, at that time by trade a Nottingham
843:Clément, Gladiator, And Humber (France), Limited.
1334:Defunct cycle manufacturers of the United Kingdom
938:
834:, Thursday, 13 December 1894; pg. 15; Issue 34446
700:Coventry Cycle Company Limited, Whitefriars Lane
1325:
847:, Monday, 12 October 1896; pg. 13; Issue 35019
924:
856:International Bank Of London (Limited).-The.
822:, Saturday, 18 June 1887; pg. 4; Issue 32102
806:, Friday, 17 June 1887; pg. 11; Issue 32101.
789:Paul Freund, 'Humber, Thomas (1841–1910)',
931:
917:
860:, Friday, 9 March 1900; pg. 3; Issue 36085
814:
812:
146:Thomas Humber developed and patented the
537:
512:
220:
212:
173:
113:
103:
52:
24:
17:
791:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
671:- Biggest UK manufacture at one period.
664:List of bicycle manufacturing companies
1326:
809:
785:
783:
781:
779:
777:
775:
773:
771:
912:
694:, 350 men*, established 1868 also in
871:"Cross Frames: Historical Evolution"
802:Money-Market and City Intelligence.
707:Joseph Devey's Express Cycle Works,
31:insignia high on the left front wall
793:, Oxford University Press, May 2012
768:
13:
1339:Companies based in Nottinghamshire
14:
1350:
748:
141:
630:
618:
602:
590:
585:Humber Limited and royal warrant
575:
560:
110:by Humber, Marriott & Cooper
884:
863:
850:
837:
825:
796:
742:
682:
533:
187:to make the cycles for them.
1:
735:
754:"The Golden Age of 3 Speeds"
153:
100:Ordinary or "Penny-farthing"
7:
711:, 170 men, established 1873
704:, 160 men, established 1871
642:
159:Humber, Marriott and Cooper
10:
1355:
625:Humber sports duplex forks
553:
67:which moved about 1878 to
48:
1285:
1134:
948:
521:
275:Humber & Co Beeston
126:Thomas's own design of "
69:Beeston, Nottinghamshire
675:
597:Badge Humber by Raleigh
542:2Âľ h.p. motorcycle 1904
73:Humber & Co Limited
38:is an English brand of
550:two-horsepower motor.
543:
518:
310:Coventry Cycle Co Ltd
226:
218:
179:
123:
111:
87:, had built himself a
57:
32:
22:
541:
516:
224:
216:
177:
118:Humber Safety Bicycle
117:
107:
56:
28:
21:
345:Express Cycle Works
1308:Middlemores Saddles
692:Beeston, Nottingham
567:Badge on a Beeston
818:Public Companies.
649:Humber Motorcycles
544:
519:
227:
219:
191:Humber and Lambert
180:
124:
121:The Science Museum
112:
58:
33:
23:
1321:
1320:
517:Humber frame 1888
463:
462:
380:Wellington Works
185:Rudge of Coventry
1346:
1172:Coventry Premier
933:
926:
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765:
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761:
746:
729:
686:
634:
622:
606:
594:
579:
564:
548:E. J. Pennington
508:Great Depression
229:
93:English Mechanic
1354:
1353:
1349:
1348:
1347:
1345:
1344:
1343:
1324:
1323:
1322:
1317:
1303:Hope Technology
1281:
1242:Rudge-Whitworth
1130:
944:
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830:
826:
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801:
797:
788:
769:
759:
757:
756:. Sheldon Brown
747:
743:
738:
733:
732:
721:John R Ellerman
687:
683:
678:
645:
638:
635:
626:
623:
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305:
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280:
267:Unexec. orders
261:Unexec. orders
234:
156:
144:
119:
109:
102:
51:
30:
12:
11:
5:
1352:
1342:
1341:
1336:
1319:
1318:
1316:
1315:
1313:Sturmey-Archer
1310:
1305:
1300:
1295:
1293:Brooks England
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1287:
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1279:
1274:
1269:
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1244:
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1234:
1229:
1224:
1219:
1214:
1209:
1204:
1199:
1194:
1189:
1184:
1182:Elswick Hopper
1179:
1174:
1169:
1167:Coventry-Eagle
1164:
1159:
1154:
1149:
1144:
1138:
1136:
1132:
1131:
1129:
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1118:
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808:
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750:Brown, Sheldon
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727:
726:
723:
716:
715:
712:
705:
698:
680:
679:
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673:
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669:Raleigh Cycles
666:
661:
656:
654:Humber Limited
651:
644:
641:
640:
639:
636:
629:
627:
624:
617:
615:
611:Sturmey Archer
609:Humber sports
608:
601:
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587:
581:
574:
572:
569:penny farthing
566:
559:
555:
552:
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523:
520:
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503:
494:Humber Limited
490:
489:
488:Humber Limited
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148:safety bicycle
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142:Safety bicycle
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50:
47:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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1237:Royal Enfield
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1225:
1223:
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1218:
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1198:
1197:Freddie Grubb
1195:
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1009:
1007:
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989:
987:
984:
982:
979:
977:
976:British Eagle
974:
972:
969:
967:
964:
962:
959:
957:
954:
953:
951:
947:
943:manufacturers
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778:
776:
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772:
755:
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741:
724:
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718:
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709:Wolverhampton
706:
703:
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693:
689:
688:
685:
681:
670:
667:
665:
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659:Thomas Humber
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528:bicycle frame
515:
511:
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233:Manufacturer
231:
230:
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217:Humber France
215:
208:
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206:
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197:
190:
189:
188:
186:
176:
172:
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158:
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139:
137:
133:
132:James Starley
129:
122:
116:
106:
97:
94:
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86:
78:
77:
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74:
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66:
62:
61:Thomas Humber
55:
46:
43:
41:
37:
27:
20:
16:
1211:
1177:Ellis Briggs
1157:Claud Butler
895:. Retrieved
886:
874:. Retrieved
865:
857:
852:
844:
839:
831:
827:
819:
803:
798:
790:
758:. Retrieved
744:
684:
545:
525:
505:
491:
483:
472:
464:
456:
449:
442:
435:
428:
421:
415:
268:
262:
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250:
244:
238:
203:
194:
181:
162:
145:
125:
92:
82:
59:
44:
35:
34:
29:Beeston 2008
15:
1202:Harry Quinn
1187:Flying Scot
534:Motorcycles
263:April 1887
255:Deliveries
251:April 1887
249:Deliveries
243:Production
239:April 1887
237:Production
165:Fred Cooper
136:Fred Cooper
1328:Categories
1286:Components
1192:F.W. Evans
1162:Chater-Lea
1101:Robin Hood
1031:Holdsworth
736:References
225:Humber USA
89:velocipede
85:blacksmith
79:Velocipede
65:Nottingham
1096:Ridgeback
1036:Islabikes
961:Bickerton
858:The Times
845:The Times
832:The Times
820:The Times
804:The Times
479:Gladiator
269:May 1887
257:May 1887
245:May 1887
154:Ownership
1262:Uppadine
1207:Hercules
1121:TI Group
1091:Reynolds
1081:Planet X
1076:Phillips
1071:Pedersen
1056:Muddyfox
1026:Hetchins
1021:Halfords
1001:Defiance
981:Brompton
966:Boardman
939:British
892:"Humber"
876:27 April
760:27 April
702:Coventry
643:See also
481:failed.
128:ordinary
108:Ordinary
1277:Witcomb
1272:Warrick
1257:Triumph
1252:Sunbeam
1227:Roberts
1152:Carlton
1135:Defunct
1106:Saracen
1086:Raleigh
1066:Pashley
1051:Moulton
1046:Mercian
1016:Genesis
986:Campion
949:Current
941:bicycle
613:3-speed
554:Gallery
501:Raleigh
475:Clement
169:Beeston
49:History
40:bicycle
1298:Dunlop
1267:Viking
1217:Norman
1212:Humber
1116:Temple
1111:Strida
1011:Falcon
991:Condor
971:Bootie
956:A-bike
897:6 July
696:London
36:Humber
1232:Rover
1222:Perry
1142:Ariel
1126:Whyte
1061:Paper
1041:Lotus
1006:Dolan
996:Dawes
583:Badge
522:Frame
457:1,289
450:1,283
443:1,486
436:1,378
429:1,180
422:1,103
416:Total
899:2008
878:2007
762:2007
676:Note
477:and
1247:Sun
1147:BSA
409:192
404:151
399:254
394:218
389:120
384:120
374:278
369:293
364:495
359:483
354:381
349:293
339:535
334:593
329:409
324:435
319:416
314:453
304:284
299:246
294:328
289:242
284:263
279:237
1330::
811:^
770:^
752:.
496:.
171:.
932:e
925:t
918:v
901:.
880:.
764:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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