John Davenport Siddeley, 1st Baron Kenilworth (5 August 1866 – 3 November 1953), was a pioneer of the motor industry in the United Kingdom, manufacturing aero engines and airframes as well as motor vehicles. This followed cycling from Land's End to John o' Groats to publicise the new pneumatic tyre.
He married Sarah Mabel Goodier, daughter of James Goodier of Macclesfield, in 1893 and they lived in Belfast for a short time, but by August 1894 they were living in Meriden, Coventry where their eldest son, Cyril, was born. They were to have three sons and two daughters. and appointed Siddeley as London sales manager of The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company Limited, owned by Vickers, Sons and Maxim, of which Herbert Austin was managing director. A few months later Herbert Austin left Wolseley to found his own Austin Motor Company and Siddeley was appointed manager of Wolseley in his place and, without authority, added Siddeley to the badge on the Wolseley cars.
He resigned from Wolseley in 1909 to go into partnership with H P P Deasy and manage the Deasy Motor Company, also of Coventry. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1918 New Year Honours for his industrial services during the war.
In 1918 John Siddeley and his family moved to Crackley Hall, Kenilworth. The same building later became St Joseph's School and is now Crackley Hall School.
Armstrong Siddeley Motors
Siddeley arranged a takeover of Siddeley-Deasy's motorcar, aircraft engine and aircraft business by Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth and Co Ltd and its amalgamation with the Armstrong Whitworth motor department in 1919. They renamed their new entity Armstrong Siddeley Motors. and by 1927 he had gained control of all three Siddeley businesses. He remained their chairman until 1935 when, at the age of 70, he arranged his last takeover with Hawker Aircraft who formed Hawker Siddeley though the Siddeley businesses kept their identities. From this arrangement he received "£1 million and numerous benefits". – the highest honour the British Motor Industry could bestow. He was also elected president of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors for 1932–1933—now Society of British Aerospace Companies— and elected president of the Engineering and Allied Employers' National Federation for 1935–1936.
On his retirement he bought and gave to the nation the historic Kenilworth Castle. To commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937, Lord Kenilworth also made a gift of £100,000 to Fairbridge Farm Schools, a charity to offer opportunities and education abroad to young people from broken homes.
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ASMongoose.JPG|Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose<br />in a Hawker Tomtit
RAF Museum Cosford - DSC08648.JPG|Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 200 turbojet
Emblem Wolseley-Siddeley V S & M copy.png|Name plate:<br />Vickers, Sons & Maxim<br />Wolseley Siddeley
1908 Wolseley-Siddeley Rally BCN - Sitges 6826437878.jpg|Wolseley Siddeley 1908
Armstrong Siddeley motif - Flickr - exfordy (1).jpg|Armstrong Siddeley's Sphinx mascot
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