William George Pye [1] was born on 27 October 1869 at Battersea, London.
In 1896 he started a company called W G Pye which manufactured scientific and optical equipment.
The firm prospered during World War One by manufacturing specialist equipment such as gun sights.
After the war new products needed to be found and the company started to manufacture radio parts and eventually a radio.
Harold John Pye, who was the son of William then joined the firm and helped to develop a new radio which proved so successful that the radio manufacturing side of W G Pye and the rights to the name Pye Radio was bought.
William and Harold continued to operate W G Pye making optical equipment.
World War Two again brought an increase of business until 1947 when Pye Radio approached Harold with a substantial offer that would reunite the radio and optical divisions. The offer was accepted and Harold retired to become a farmer at Burnham on Crouch, Essex.
William died at Bexhill, Sussex on 13 October 1949.