Claud Butler
Encyclopedia
Claud Butler was a flamboyantLondon
cycle dealer and frame-builder who from 1928 created a chain of branches in London and the Midlands. His company was one of the most successful of the inter-war era but failed after the second world war. The name was bought by other companies. Butler died on 2 November 1978. Claud Butler bicycles are produced by Falcon Cycles
cycling club, worked for the Halford Cycle Company as a mechanic and then as a salesman, and then on 28 February 1928 opened a bicycle shop at 8 Lavender Road, Clapham Junction. He worried about giving its his own name, which he thought effeminate. He began building bicycle frames and within four years opened branches across London. The first was at Lewisham
, followed by 101 East Hill, Wandsworth (SW London), 34 and 34a Lee High Rd, Lewisham (SE London), 71 Grand Parade, Harringay (N London), and
241 High Street North, East Ham (E London).
He then opened a branch at 18 Greyfriar Gate,
Nottingham
.
He moved his office to Clapham Manor Street in 1932 . The branches in East Ham and Nottingham closed during the second world war.
The weekly magazine, The Bicycle, said:
Claud Butler cycles were known for features such as bronze-weld construction and decorative lugs (techniques pioneered by continental frame builders) . He sponsored international racers such as Reg Harris
, Eileen Sheridan
, Peter Underwood and Dennis Sutton Horn. His bikes were ridden at the 1931 world championship in Copenhagen and then in Italy (1932), France (1933) and Germany (1934). Claud Butler bikes also competed at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932.
He celebrated the popularity of his bicycles with bands and entertainment held at the Manor Street works.
He was a founder of the Lightweight Manufacturers' Association and for a period its secretary.
The cycling historian David Palk says:
Saudi Arabia's oil embargo against Britain and France during the Suez Crisis
brought Claud Butler to closure. With fuel shortages, British industry could operate only a four-day week and, with little demand for cycles let alone lightweight frames, the Clapham Manor Street site began to fall quiet. Finally £150,000 owed to HM Customs and Excise forced Claud Butler to declare bankruptcy. The receiver put debts at £70,000 with assets of £12,000 to £13,000.
. Adam Hill had used the economic downturn to his advantage and expanded his business by acquiring the Merlin name from Ernie Merlin. In late 1956 he travelled to London and bought the rights to the Claud Butler and to the Saxon name, which Butler also owned. However, his venture to buy Claud Butler ended with a meeting with creditors in 1958. This permitted Holdsworth to buy three Claud Butler trade marks ("CB and link design Headbadge", "CB monogram and devise" and the "Claud Butler signature") in July 1958. Claud Butler frames continued to sell well, and in some instances, outsold their Holdsworth counterparts.
. It bought the Holdsworth and Claud Butler names in February 1987. These acquisitions brought with it a change to volume production with the Claud Butler and Holdsworth brands reserved for the premium frames in the new range.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
cycle dealer and frame-builder who from 1928 created a chain of branches in London and the Midlands. His company was one of the most successful of the inter-war era but failed after the second world war. The name was bought by other companies. Butler died on 2 November 1978. Claud Butler bicycles are produced by Falcon Cycles
Falcon Cycles
Falcon Cycles is an English bicycle manufacturer based in Brigg, North Lincolnshire. The company can trace its history back over 125 years.In addition to producing bikes under its own name, Falcon produces bicycles under several brand names including Falcon, British Eagle, Coventry Eagle, Townsend,...
Early years
Claud Butler was the son of a worker in the silk industry who thought his son would follow him into the trade. Instead he developed an interest in cycling after delivering bottles of medicine for a doctor in south London. He joined BalhamBalham
Balham is a district of London, EnglandBalham can also refer to:*Balham, Ardennes, a commune in France*Balham station, railway and tube station in Balham, London*Balaam, a Biblical figure...
cycling club, worked for the Halford Cycle Company as a mechanic and then as a salesman, and then on 28 February 1928 opened a bicycle shop at 8 Lavender Road, Clapham Junction. He worried about giving its his own name, which he thought effeminate. He began building bicycle frames and within four years opened branches across London. The first was at Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, followed by 101 East Hill, Wandsworth (SW London), 34 and 34a Lee High Rd, Lewisham (SE London), 71 Grand Parade, Harringay (N London), and
241 High Street North, East Ham (E London).
He then opened a branch at 18 Greyfriar Gate,
Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
.
He moved his office to Clapham Manor Street in 1932 . The branches in East Ham and Nottingham closed during the second world war.
The weekly magazine, The Bicycle, said:
- Ideas, practical innovations, use of the latest machinery broought "C.B." bicycles well to the fore in the lightweight industry. Claud Butler accomplished many fine technical achievements, and pioneered many of the present-day developments. Among those with the C.B. hallmark are the origination of the upright bicycle, which dispensed with the old 69 degrees parallel frames; the development of the short wheel-base tandem in 1935; and the introduction of three speeds on tricycles.
Claud Butler cycles were known for features such as bronze-weld construction and decorative lugs (techniques pioneered by continental frame builders) . He sponsored international racers such as Reg Harris
Reg Harris
Reginald - 'Reg' - Hargreaves Harris OBE was a leading English track racing cyclist in the 1940s and 1950s. He won the world amateur sprint title in 1947, two Olympic silver medals in 1948, and the professional title in 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1954...
, Eileen Sheridan
Eileen Sheridan (cyclist)
Eileen Sheridan, née Shaw was an English cyclist specialising in time trialling and road record breaking. She broke all the records of the Women's Road Records Association during the late 1930s and into the second world war. They included Land's End to John o' Groats, set by Marguerite Wilson...
, Peter Underwood and Dennis Sutton Horn. His bikes were ridden at the 1931 world championship in Copenhagen and then in Italy (1932), France (1933) and Germany (1934). Claud Butler bikes also competed at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932.
He celebrated the popularity of his bicycles with bands and entertainment held at the Manor Street works.
He was a founder of the Lightweight Manufacturers' Association and for a period its secretary.
Second World War and Decline
Claud Butler's initial rise was prematurely curtailed with the outset of the Second World War. The suspension of international cycling events and the curtailment of domestic meetings reduced the demand for his frames, along with other small-scale manufacturers.The cycling historian David Palk says:
- By the mid-fifties the glory days were over, with club cycling beginning to lose favour as a popular activity across Britain. Several manufacturers' records show a sudden dip in production from the early fifties onwards. The phasing-out of war-time rationing, as well as increased affluence throughout the population, brought aspirations towards consumerism and motorized transport. This was at odds with the simple pleasures of club cycling. The ultimate distraction – television – also became more affordable at this time, with many thousands of households equipping themselves to watch the live broadcast of the Queen's Coronation in 1953. In the mid-to-late fifties Britain's lightweight trade was in serious decline, with several prominent marques relocating and downsizing, becoming amalgamated or simply packing up for good. Claud's finances were in a poor state and a large sum owing to the taxman put the final nail in the coffin.
Saudi Arabia's oil embargo against Britain and France during the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
brought Claud Butler to closure. With fuel shortages, British industry could operate only a four-day week and, with little demand for cycles let alone lightweight frames, the Clapham Manor Street site began to fall quiet. Finally £150,000 owed to HM Customs and Excise forced Claud Butler to declare bankruptcy. The receiver put debts at £70,000 with assets of £12,000 to £13,000.
1957-1987 Holdsworth ownership
A number of cycle manufacturers showed interest in purchasing the brand and assets. Two were Adam Hill of Hill and Hill Special and HoldsworthHoldsworth
Holdsworth was a bicycle manufacturer in London, United Kingdom. It was created by William Frank Holdsworth, known as Sandy. -Beginnings:...
. Adam Hill had used the economic downturn to his advantage and expanded his business by acquiring the Merlin name from Ernie Merlin. In late 1956 he travelled to London and bought the rights to the Claud Butler and to the Saxon name, which Butler also owned. However, his venture to buy Claud Butler ended with a meeting with creditors in 1958. This permitted Holdsworth to buy three Claud Butler trade marks ("CB and link design Headbadge", "CB monogram and devise" and the "Claud Butler signature") in July 1958. Claud Butler frames continued to sell well, and in some instances, outsold their Holdsworth counterparts.
Falcon 1987 to present
Elswick Hopper throughout the 1970s acquired brands including Wearwell (1974) and Falcon (1978). In 1982 the agglomerated firm was restructured and renamed Elswick-Falcon CyclesFalcon Cycles
Falcon Cycles is an English bicycle manufacturer based in Brigg, North Lincolnshire. The company can trace its history back over 125 years.In addition to producing bikes under its own name, Falcon produces bicycles under several brand names including Falcon, British Eagle, Coventry Eagle, Townsend,...
. It bought the Holdsworth and Claud Butler names in February 1987. These acquisitions brought with it a change to volume production with the Claud Butler and Holdsworth brands reserved for the premium frames in the new range.