Jeremy Fry
Encyclopedia
Jeremy Joseph Fry was a British
inventor, engineer, entrepreneur, adventurer and arts patron.
on May 19, 1924 in Bristol
, he was the second son of Cecil Roderick Fry
who as the last chairman of the J. S. Fry & Sons
chocolate concern arranged for the sale of the company to rival Cadbury's, enraging the family. Jeremy was educated at Gordonstoun
, and joined the Royal Air Force
as a pilot. After the war, Jeremy took up motorsport
driving the 500cc Parsenn but quit after cousin Joe was killed at Blandford.
with Frenchay Products Ltd between 1954 and 1957. He founded Rotork Engineering Company in 1957 after identifying the potential of valve actuator
s. As Chairman he oversaw Rotork's rise to becoming the market leader in equipment for use in oil and gas pipelines, refineries, power stations and waste water plants, and a member of the FTSE 250 Index
.
Noted as an inventor and engineer, his designs included a car, the Sea Truck
(a flat boat ferry capable of carrying one car at high speed), and a four-wheel-drive wheelchair. Additionally he was responsible for starting James Dyson
out on his own inventing career by mentoring him in 1970 at Rotork.
His friend Tony Richardson
, film and theatre director, described Fry (and their many travels together) in his autobiography Long Distance Runner (London, 1993; pp187–90).
. He bought the theatre in 1979 and as its Chairman oversaw its extensive renovation. In addition to being Chairman of the Northern Ballet Theatre
he was the chairman of the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol.
: Fry described the claim as "utter nonsense".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
inventor, engineer, entrepreneur, adventurer and arts patron.
Early life
Born into the Fry familyFry Family (Chocolate)
The Fry family was prominent in England especially Bristol, in the Society of Friends, and in the confectionery business in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.-Origins:...
on May 19, 1924 in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, he was the second son of Cecil Roderick Fry
Cecil Roderick Fry
Cecil Roderick Fry was a member of the Fry family who ran the J. S. Fry & Sons confectionery business after World War I....
who as the last chairman of the J. S. Fry & Sons
J. S. Fry & Sons
J. S. Fry & Sons, Ltd. was a British chocolate company owned by Joseph Storrs Fry and his family.This business moved through several names and hands before ending up as J. S. Fry & Sons.- History :*circa 1759 — Joseph Fry starts making chocolate...
chocolate concern arranged for the sale of the company to rival Cadbury's, enraging the family. Jeremy was educated at Gordonstoun
Gordonstoun
Gordonstoun School is a co-educational independent school for boarding and day pupils in Moray in North East Scotland. Named after the estate originally owned by Sir Robert Gordon in the 1600s, the school now uses this estate as its campus...
, and joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as a pilot. After the war, Jeremy took up motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
driving the 500cc Parsenn but quit after cousin Joe was killed at Blandford.
Career
He became a product designerIndustrial design
Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
with Frenchay Products Ltd between 1954 and 1957. He founded Rotork Engineering Company in 1957 after identifying the potential of valve actuator
Actuator
An actuator is a type of motor for moving or controlling a mechanism or system. It is operated by a source of energy, usually in the form of an electric current, hydraulic fluid pressure or pneumatic pressure, and converts that energy into some kind of motion. An actuator is the mechanism by which...
s. As Chairman he oversaw Rotork's rise to becoming the market leader in equipment for use in oil and gas pipelines, refineries, power stations and waste water plants, and a member of the FTSE 250 Index
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March, June, September and December...
.
Noted as an inventor and engineer, his designs included a car, the Sea Truck
Sea Truck
The Rotork Sea Truck is a flat-hulled, high-speed watercraft, similar to a small landing craft. Made from fibreglass, they may be used to land vehicles without jetties or harbour facilities. They were designed partially by James Dyson in the 1970s, as part of his final year's project at the Royal...
(a flat boat ferry capable of carrying one car at high speed), and a four-wheel-drive wheelchair. Additionally he was responsible for starting James Dyson
James Dyson
Sir James Dyson is a British industrial designer and founder of the Dyson company.He is best known as the inventor of the Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner, which works on the principle of cyclonic separation. His net worth in 2011 was said to be £1.45 billion.-Early life:Dyson was born in...
out on his own inventing career by mentoring him in 1970 at Rotork.
His friend Tony Richardson
Tony Richardson
Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson was an English theatre and film director and producer.-Early life:Richardson was born in Shipley, Yorkshire in 1928, the son of Elsie Evans and Clarence Albert Richardson, a chemist...
, film and theatre director, described Fry (and their many travels together) in his autobiography Long Distance Runner (London, 1993; pp187–90).
Arts patron
He was noted for his keen interest in the Arts and will be remembered as the saviour of the Theatre Royal, BathTheatre Royal, Bath
The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, is over 200 years old. It is one of the more important theatres in the United Kingdom outside London, with capacity for an audience of around 900....
. He bought the theatre in 1979 and as its Chairman oversaw its extensive renovation. In addition to being Chairman of the Northern Ballet Theatre
Northern Ballet Theatre
Northern Ballet, formerly Northern Ballet Theatre, is a dance company based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a strong repertoire in theatrical dance productions where the emphasis is on story telling as well as classical ballet...
he was the chairman of the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol.
Personal life
Fry married Camilla Grinling in 1955 (died 2000). They had two sons and two daughters and the marriage was dissolved in 1967. Their daughter Polly claimed in 2004 that her biological father had in fact been Fry's friend Antony Armstrong-JonesAntony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon
Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, GCVO, RDI is an English photographer and film maker. He was married to Princess Margaret, younger daughter of King George VI and younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II....
: Fry described the claim as "utter nonsense".