Siegfried Bettmann
Siegfried Bettmann (1863-1951) of Triumph Cycle Co and Gloria Cycle Co
1863 April 18th. Born in Nurnberg, Germany the son of Meyer Bettmann, a timber merchant, and his wife Sophie Weil
1883 Moved to England
Worked for the White Sewing Machine Co under the management of George Sawyer (2) but he was laid off in 1885
1886 Founder of Triumph Cycle Co
Established S. Bettmann and Co in London
1891 Visitor at 12 Rothesay Terrace, Coventry: Siegfried Bettmann (age 27 born Bavaria), Bicycle Maker and Employer. In the house of Marks Baum (age 62 born Germany - British Subject), Watchmaker, and his family. Also Mauritz Schulte (age 32 born Germany - naturalised subject), Bicycle Maker and Employer. One servant.[1]
1895 March 9th. Became naturalised British subject. Born Nurnberg. Residing at The Craven Arms Hotel, Coventry.
1895 July 31st. Married Millie (Annie) Meyrick at Shifnal.
1896 Set up "Deutsche Triumph-Fahrradwerke, Nuremberg".[2]
1897 Mention as a director of the Triumph Cycle Co and of Robert Bunting and Sons.[3]
1901 Living at St Nicholas Street, Coventry (age 37 born Bavaria, naturalised British Citizen), Managing Director of Cycle Works. With his wife Annie (age 36 born Shifnal). Also Mother-in-law Annie Meyrick and other relatives. [4]
1912 Acquired Charles Friswell's interest in Standard Motor Co with C. J. Band
1913 Became mayor of Coventry
1914 Listed as of Elm Bank, Stoke Park, Coventry.[5]
1919 Founded the Annie Bettmann Foundation to help young people starting in business.
1933 Stood down as MD of Triumph Cycle Co
1934 Retired as vice-chairman.
1936 Bicycle production by Triumph Cycle Co, which company had run into financial problems, was acquired by Coventry Bicycles which was formed by Bettmann as he came out of retirement.[6][7]
1941 February 17th. Millie, his wife, died
1951 Died aged 88 years [8].
1951 Obituary.'STARTED PENNILESS, LEFT £145,000. MR. SIEGFRIED BETTMANN. J.P., Elm Bank, Stoke Park. Coventry, when he arrived In Britain the days of the penny-farthing bicycle, was friendless and practically penniless. He founded the Triumph Cycle Company, and was a pioneer of the British motorcycle industry, former president the British Cycle and Motorcycle Manufacturers’ Union, and Mayor of Coventry 1913-14, died on September 23 last, aged 88 years, leaving £145,204 13s. 7d. gross, £142.368 4s. sd. net value (duty paid £66.794). He left a portrait of himself, painted by C. D. Ward, the presentation album given to him on his 70th birthday, the badge and chain of office presented to his late wife by the ladies of Coventry when she was Mayoress of the City of Coventry, the address given to him by the Triumph men upon his assuming the Mayoralty of Coventry, his old Sevres vase, and such of his books manuscripts and typescripts as have not been distributed to his personal friends, to Coventry Corporation.'[9]
Buried in Coventry Canley Cemetery
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1891 Census
- ↑ Peter Ullein
- ↑ Sheffield Independent - Monday 28 June 1897
- ↑ 1901 census
- ↑ Coventry Standard - Friday 13 November 1914
- ↑ History of Coventry [1]
- ↑ Coventry Herald - Friday 17 January 1936
- ↑ Obituary: The Times, Tuesday, Sep 25, 1951
- ↑ Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Thursday 20 December 1951
- Coventry’s Motorcycle Heritage by Damien Kimberley. Published 2009. ISBN 978 0 7509 5125 9