The Coventry Rotary is the most important model in the history of the tricycle. It involved James Starley, its inventor, his nephew JK Starley (founder of Rover), Harry Lawson, who re-designed it, Dan Rudge, and even the Queen of England. This example also owes its existence to William Shakespeare!
I’ve provided three descriptions of its evolution, one from my own research, another from Derek Roberts which was published in 1955, and finally Bartleet’s description that appeared in a Cycling magazine article in 1941.
The horizontal frame tube is the first pattern to be used (ie James Starley’s design), and is different from the later Rudge Rotary whose horizontal tube curved at both ends (illustrations at the bottom of the page). With Starley’s firm, Haynes & Jefferis, going into liquidation, this model was marketed by the Tangent & Coventry Tricycle Co until the company became D. Rudge & Co Ltd.
The tricycle itself is in superb unrestored original condition and is ready to ride and display.
You can read about its provenance (and connection to William Shakespeare) further down the page.
THE COVENTRY ROTARY TRICYCLE
HISTORY of the COVENTRY ROTARY TRICYCLE
The men and companies involved with the Coventry Rotary tricycle were some of the leading pioneers of bicycle invention and production.
JAMES STARLEY – considered the ‘father of the bicycle’. He left Coventry Machinists Co in 1870 and, with William Hillman (who went on to found Hillman & Herbert, makers of the ‘Premier’ bicycle, and, later, Hillman Motor Co), set up their own business. In 1876 James Starley patented the ‘Coventry Lever’ Tricycle (patent No. 4478/1876) as depicted on the Starley Memorial in Coventry. The ‘lever’ tricycle had evolved from Starley’s first lady’s bicycle, a lever-driven “ordinary” with wheels out of track.
Haynes & Jefferis were two former foremen of James Starley at Smith Starley & Co. and they took up the licence from 1875 to produce James Starley’s bicycles. The ‘Coventry Tricycle’ was patented in 1876 and produced from 1877, including production under licence by Haynes & Jefferis. On the left was a wheel of 50 in. and on the right two 20 in. wheels connected by a long tube, both of which were steered by a handle. A version was produced with two riders sitting back to back but it never became popular.
JOHN KEMP STARLEY: (1854-1901) was James Starley’s nephew. He was the son of John Starley (who was the elder brother of James Starley). J.K Starley worked with Haynes & Jefferis, but left to form his own firm in 1878. Initially he was the sole proprietor but he was joined shortly after in 1879 by William Sutton, who had previously been working in haberdashery in Coventry. George Franks, a retired diamond merchant, became associated with the business and it was he who suggested the name ‘Rover’. The first ‘Starley & Sutton’ premises were at St John’s Works, Fleet Street. GEORGE WOODOCK: was a Coventry solicitor and investor. When the Haynes & Jefferis firm collapsed, he bought the assets, along with those of the by now failed ‘Starley & Sutton’ firm. In November 1879 he amalgamated the business with the ‘Tangent and Coventry Tricycle Co’ under the management of Messrs Coppen and Lawson. HARRY LAWSON: is credited as being the inventor of the safety bicycle with his 1874 prototype and the patented 1876 and 1879 designs. His premises were at Regent Iron Works, North Road, Brighton, but he joined ‘Tangent and Coventry Tricycle Co’ as a manager in 1879, a role he continued when the company became Rudge Cycle Co. He left to form his own company in 1881 (National Bicycle & Tricycle Co). Harry Lawson updated the ‘Coventry Tricycle’ with a rotary action and chain drive, using his patent No. 972/1877. When chain drive was fitted to this type of tricycle, James Starley stated that the new system of driving was not intended to supersede the older lever action, but was introduced to suit those riders who preferred the rotary motion of the feet. So this modified machine became known as the ‘Coventry Rotary Tricycle’with the earlier Starley version now described as the ‘Coventry Lever Tricycle.’ The ‘Rudge Rotary’was a subsequent version.
THE ‘TANGENT & COVENTRY TRICYCLE CO’ – with premises at Spon Street, Coventry, this company was established in 1878 by George Woodcock. It comprised the assets of Haynes & Jefferis and ‘Starley & Sutton.’ Lawson was manager.
DAN RUDGE: was another well-known pioneer of the cycle industry. He died in 1880 and his company ‘D. Rudge & Co’ was acquired by George Woodcock. It was merged with the ‘Tangent and Coventry Tricycle Co’ to form a new company ‘Rudge Cycle Co.’ He relocated the combined business to Ariel Works, Trafalgar Street, Coventry. Others recruited were Charles Vernon Pugh as Director and William H Nelson as Works Manager.
As the ‘Rudge Rotary’ the tricycle became very popular, and a great many were sold. It was ridden in races by Jack Morley of Manchester, and the redoubtable Matthew ‘Jumbo’ Lowndes of Congleton, who was beaten by Alfred Nixon in a memorable 100 miles match at the Crystal Palace track. After the race Lowndes demonstrated the controllability of the machine by riding it down the steps to the platform at the C.P. low level station. Further publicity was provided for the machine when Princess Alexandra (subsequently the Queen of England) ordered one.
SHAKESPEARE BIRTHPLACE TRUST
I purchased this Rotary tricycle from a couple in Devon who were moving house and therefore had to sell this tricycle which they had inherited from her father after he had passed away. This receipt came with it …and an interesting story too.
The father (RIP) Bob Sutton was interested in history and collected vintage motorcycles. He had also been a volunteer at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. One of the properties cared for by The Trust had a barn attached with agricultural machinery inside, plus this tricycle and a hobby horse. In 2010, the barn was to be demolished and Bob and his colleagues were asked to dispose of the items inside. Someone else took the hobby horse and Bob got the tricycle. He obtained this receipt to confirm his entitlement to it. I wonder what happened to the hobby horse?
1878 RUDGE BEARING PATENT
As you can read below, it is not the bearings themselves that were patented, but the means of adjusting them. Companies had to pay royalties to the patent holder if they wanted to add bearings to their bicycle or tricycle, which vastly improved its functionality.
EVOLUTION & DEVELOPMENT OF THE COVENTRY ROTARY TRICYCLE
by Derek Roberts, Boneshaker magazine No 1, 1955
FOOTNOTE:
THE PRINCESS OF WALES & HER RUDGE ROTARY
H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, afterwards Queen Alexandra, regularly used a Rudge Rotary tricycle, having a machine specially built with pneumatic tyres in the 1890s, long after the type had become obsolete.
You can see her ‘Rudge Rotary’ below. Whereas the orginal ‘Coventry Rotary’ had a straight horizontal main frame bar, the main frame bar on the later Rudge version curved down at the ends to accommodate smaller diamater wheels. This helped reduce the overall width by several inches so that the tricycle could fit within a standard width doorway to be stored inside.
[Alexandra of Denmark was Queen of the United Kingdom as the wife of King Edward VII – they married in 1863 and he became King in 1901]
