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Maxwell Craven looks back at why the founders of Rolls-Royce, Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, opted to shift from Manchester to Derby and what a momentous decision it was for our city.

2007 is the centenary of Rolls-Royce’s decision to come to Derby and July 9, 2007 was the 99th anniversary of the opening of the factory itself – by any estimate an earth-shattering event, bearing in mind the achievements and prestige of the company ever since.

So far, all we seem to have to show for 100 years of achievement is the imminent demolition of the original factory. But, despite that, one wonders if there is to be some great ceremony – a dinner at the House of Lords, perhaps, a service of thanksgiving in Derby Cathedral, a drive-past of 40-50hp cars or a mighty pageant to celebrate the unmatched contribution by local people to the success of the company over 100 years?

Perhaps we shouldn’t hold our breath; modern multi-national companies are now so accountant-driven that such fripperies are probably frowned upon. Yet, by encouraging the establishment of the factory in Derby, our council showed one of its rare flashes of genius.

In 1907, Rolls-Royce had, among others, an engineer-in-chief, Henry Royce; a commercial managing director, Claude Johnson; and a technical managing director, Charles Rolls.

It was Johnson who was charged with finding a place to build a new factory, once the decision had been taken to move from their cramped premises in Cooke Street, Manchester.

After much deliberation, and with Leicester definitely in the frame, the City Fathers of Derby stepped boldly in: their greatest act of prescience.

Derby Borough Council’s officials made a late approach to offer almost everything that the company was seeking – suitable building land at an affordable price, backed up with a plenitude of possible room for expansion.

There was also a commitment to supply electricity from the borough’s new Full Street power station at a highly competitive tariff on a long-term basis, as well as all the other mains services.

Fundamentally, Rolls-Royce was a foundry, so it embodied not only a long Derby tradition of producing luxury goods – in this case motor cars – but also the equally long tradition of foundry work in the town.

There was, therefore, a good pool of skilled labour available, too, on top of the excellent communications the city had always enjoyed. Not only that but homes were being built next to the site to accommodate some of the workforce moving from Manchester – and rates of pay were generally lower in Derby than across the Pennines.

The site comprised 12.5 acres of the former estate of Osmaston Hall, which the Wilmot-Hortons had begun to break up in the late 1870s, the house having become uninhabitable due to the pounding of steam hammers and roar of furnaces from the adjacent Cotton Lane foundries, most of which worked all day and all night.

Building began in April 1907. The buildings themselves were exceedingly workaday but were put up with commendable speed by And-rew Handyside and Co, of Duke Street, to the very exact requirements of Henry Royce, who undertook the design and layout of the 1.5-acre workshops.

To oversee the work, Royce rented The Knoll, a late Regency villa in Quarndon. It was at this stage that Henry Royce also designed the long, two-storey “commercial block” alongside Nightingale Road, though it was not completed until 1912.

The works themselves were a showpiece of rational layout to facilitate what is still a very complex manufacturing process and were much admired.

Claude Johnson arranged the grand official opening for July 9, 1908, and some 75 guests attended, although more were presumably invited.

Umbrella and posh luggage vendor Alderman Arthur Simpson attended as Mayor, along with Sir Edwin Ann, photographer WW Winter – in his capacity as an alderman – and the hero of the hour, Arthur Longden who, as chairman of the Borough

Development Committee, was the man to whose vision Derby was to owe its long association with Rolls-Royce.

There were a good number of motor trade guests, including the unlikely grandee, 2nd Earl Russell, father of the pipe-toting Marxist philosopher Bertrand (3rd Earl), who was representing the Humber Car Company.

Everyone gathered on folding chairs in one of the new, rather spartan, buildings was offered modest refreshments and addressed by both Rolls and Royce as well as the 2nd Lord Montagu of Beaulieu – man of action, ex-MP, war correspondent, motoring pioneer and some-time train driver.

His usefully-connected first cousin, Lord Herbert Montagu-Douglas-Scott, was a new recruit to the company’s board. Lord Montagu told the assembled crowd that Royce was an engineer of genius and that their new 40-50hp car – the Silver Ghost – was the best car in the world and that he was on the point of buying one himself. Widely reported, these remarks had a startlingly beneficial effect on the company’s fortunes!

Once over, a switch was thrown to energise the plant’s bargain electricity and the guests were taken round the works. The saga had well and truly begun.

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