John Davenport Siddeley, 1st Baron Kenilworth (5 August 1866 - 3 November 1956), was a captain of the automobile industry in the United Kingdom.
Siddeley was born in Cheadle Hulme near Stockport in Cheshire.[1] In 1892, the young bicycle racer and designer was hired by the Humber Cycle Company. The next year he went to Dunlop[1] and cycled from Land's End to John o' Groats to publicise the new pneumatic tyre.[2] He married Sarah Mabel Goodier in 1893[1] and lived in Ireland for a short time. In August, 1894, the family was living in Meriden, Coventry where a son, Cyril, was born.
Siddeley founded the Siddeley Autocar Company in 1902, after beginning to import Peugeots from France.[1] The new firm had Peugeot-based demonstration cars at the Crystal Palace in 1903. By 1905, the company had a dozen models for sale, and it was purchased by Wolseley of Coventry. Siddeley became the manager of the newly-independent company, renaming it Wolseley-Siddeley.
John Siddeley's first wife died in 1907 and he married again to Sarah Hall and had two more sons Ernest and Norman and two daughters Joan and Nancy ('disputed as the 1911 census gives SIDDELEY, Sara Mabel Wife Married 18 years). He resigned from Wolseley in 1909 to manage the Deasy Motor Company, also of Coventry.[1]
By 1912, Deasy had become Siddeley-Deasy: it grew rapidly producing ambulances and aircraft engines,[1] using Rover chassis and Daimler and Aster engines. During World War I, Siddeley-Deasy employed around 5,000 workers.[3] In 1918 John Siddeley and his family moved to Crackley Hall, Kenilworth.
In 1919, Siddeley-Deasy was merged with Armstrong-Whitworth to become Armstrong Siddeley[1] (who continued producing automobiles until 1960). By 1927 he had gained control of the whole business.[1] Siddeley remained in charge until 1935 when, at the age of 70, he arranged a merger with Hawker Aircraft to form Hawker Siddeley.[1]
He was knighted in 1932 in which year he served as High Sheriff of Warwickshire. In 1937 he purchased Kenilworth Castle[1] and the same year he was raised to the peerage as Baron Kenilworth, of Kenilworth in the County of Warwick.[1] After his retirement he moved to Jersey where he died.[1] He was succeeded in the barony by his son Cyril.[1]
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by New Creation |
Baron Kenilworth 1937–1956 |
Succeeded by Cyril Davenport Siddeley |