H.F.S. Morgan
Encyclopedia
Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan (1881–1959) known as H.F.S. was an English
sports car
manufacturer
and founder of the Morgan Motor Company
(MMC) and its Chairman from 1937 until his death in 1959.
Henry 'Harry' Morgan was born in Morton Jeffries Rectory, Stoke Lacy
, Herefordshire
where his father, Prebendary H. George Morgan, was the local curate, and spent his early years there along with his sister Dorothy. He attended Marlborough School
but suffered from poor health possibly caused by malnutrition and was withdrawn by his parents and sent to Italy to recover. On returning he went to the Crystal Palace Engineering College and then joined the Great Western Railway company as an apprentice. It was during this period that he survived a brake failure while driving a hired 3½ hp Benz on a 1 in 6 gradient between Bromyard
and Hereford
. Paternal joy over his survival may have been slightly tempered by the resulting £28 repair bill received by his father. In 1902 with the help of a gift from his godfather he bought his first car, a Star
.
He left the GWR in late 1904 and with his friend Leslie Bacon opened a motor sales and servicing garage in Malvern Link in May 1905 with agencies for Darracq
and Wolseley
cars. As well as this he ran early bus services between Malvern Link and Malvern Wells, and later to Gloucester.
In 1908 he bought a Peugeot twin cylinder engine intending to build himself a motor cycle but changed his mind and used it to power his first car which he made in 1909 with help from William Stephenson-Peach, the father of friends, and the engineering master at Malvern College
where he was allowed use of the well equipped workshop. The car was a well engineered single seat three wheeler with independent front suspension, unusual at the time. With financial help from his father the car was put into production at premises in Malvern Link adjacent to Chestnut Lodge the house his father had bought him and three single-seaters exhibited at the 1910 Motor Show at Olympia in London. In spite of great interest being shown only a few orders were taken and he decided that a two seater was needed to meet the market demands. This was built in 1911 and an agency was taken up by the Harrods
department store in London. The Morgan became the only car ever to appear in a shop window at Harrods.
As a way of boosting sales a policy of involvement in Motor Sport, often with HFS driving, was established and sales grew steadily up to the outbreak of World War I. Although some car manufacture continued the factory was turned over mainly to munitions and the factory was extended.
Post war the company prospered and in 1921 HFS was able to buy a Rolls-Royce car, with body built by Morgan, and in 1925 moved to a larger house, Fern Lodge.
HFS married Ruth Day in 1912. Their son Peter
, born 1919, would in turn become chairman of the company.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
manufacturer
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
and founder of the Morgan Motor Company
Morgan Motor Company
The Morgan Motor Company is a British motor car manufacturer. The company was founded in 1910 by Harry Frederick Stanley Morgan, generally known as "HFS" and was run by him until he died, aged 77, in 1959. Peter Morgan, son of H.F.S., ran the company until a few years before his death in 2003...
(MMC) and its Chairman from 1937 until his death in 1959.
Henry 'Harry' Morgan was born in Morton Jeffries Rectory, Stoke Lacy
Stoke Lacy
Stoke Lacy is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Herefordshire.Stoke Lacy lies on the main A465 road that connects Hereford and Bromyard and is from the former and from the latter.-History:...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
where his father, Prebendary H. George Morgan, was the local curate, and spent his early years there along with his sister Dorothy. He attended Marlborough School
Marlborough School (St Albans)
Marlborough School is an secondary school in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It has specialist status as a Science College.The school has approximately 1200 students and 70 teachers. The school was founded in 1953 and was originally St Julian's School....
but suffered from poor health possibly caused by malnutrition and was withdrawn by his parents and sent to Italy to recover. On returning he went to the Crystal Palace Engineering College and then joined the Great Western Railway company as an apprentice. It was during this period that he survived a brake failure while driving a hired 3½ hp Benz on a 1 in 6 gradient between Bromyard
Bromyard
Bromyard is a town in northeast Herefordshire, England with a population of approximately 4,000. It lies near to the county border with Worcestershire on the A44 between Leominster and Worcester. Bromyard has a number of traditional half-timbered pubs and some buildings dating back to Norman times...
and Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
. Paternal joy over his survival may have been slightly tempered by the resulting £28 repair bill received by his father. In 1902 with the help of a gift from his godfather he bought his first car, a Star
Star Motor Company
The Star Motor Company was a British car and commercial vehicle maker based in Wolverhampton and active from 1898 to 1932.Star was founded by the Lisle family who like many other vehicle makers started by making bicycles, in their case in 1893 as Sharratt and Lisle...
.
He left the GWR in late 1904 and with his friend Leslie Bacon opened a motor sales and servicing garage in Malvern Link in May 1905 with agencies for Darracq
Darracq
Automobiles Darracq S.A. was a French motor vehicle manufacturing company founded in 1896 by Alexandre Darracq.Using part of the substantial profit he had made from selling his Gladiator bicycle factory, Alexandre Darracq began operating from a plant in the Parisian suburb of Suresnes...
and Wolseley
Wolseley Motor Company
The Wolseley Motor Company was a British automobile manufacturer founded in 1901. After 1935 it was incorporated into larger companies but the Wolseley name remained as an upmarket marque until 1975.-History:...
cars. As well as this he ran early bus services between Malvern Link and Malvern Wells, and later to Gloucester.
In 1908 he bought a Peugeot twin cylinder engine intending to build himself a motor cycle but changed his mind and used it to power his first car which he made in 1909 with help from William Stephenson-Peach, the father of friends, and the engineering master at Malvern College
Malvern College
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
where he was allowed use of the well equipped workshop. The car was a well engineered single seat three wheeler with independent front suspension, unusual at the time. With financial help from his father the car was put into production at premises in Malvern Link adjacent to Chestnut Lodge the house his father had bought him and three single-seaters exhibited at the 1910 Motor Show at Olympia in London. In spite of great interest being shown only a few orders were taken and he decided that a two seater was needed to meet the market demands. This was built in 1911 and an agency was taken up by the Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
department store in London. The Morgan became the only car ever to appear in a shop window at Harrods.
As a way of boosting sales a policy of involvement in Motor Sport, often with HFS driving, was established and sales grew steadily up to the outbreak of World War I. Although some car manufacture continued the factory was turned over mainly to munitions and the factory was extended.
Post war the company prospered and in 1921 HFS was able to buy a Rolls-Royce car, with body built by Morgan, and in 1925 moved to a larger house, Fern Lodge.
HFS married Ruth Day in 1912. Their son Peter
Peter Morgan (automaker)
Peter Henry Geoffrey Morgan was an English sports car manufacturer and Chairman of Morgan Motor Company from 1959 until his death in 2003. Peter inherited the Malvern, Worcestershire-based company from his father H.F.S. Morgan...
, born 1919, would in turn become chairman of the company.