Person    | Male  Born 27/8/1877  Died 12/7/1910

Charles Rolls

Born 35 Hill Street, W1, son of Lord Llangattock, John Rolls. A keen racing cyclist, he became the fourth man in England to own a car, took to racing cars and repeatedly broke the land speed record. Met Henry Royce in May 1904 and together they began manufacturing cars, the first being the Grey Ghost. He was a keep-fit enthusiast, sports-player, teetotal and vegetarian. Frequent balloonist. One of the first to fly with Wright, the aeroplane inventor, and the first to fly an aeroplane non-stop across the English Channel and back. He left Rolls-Royce in 1910 over disagreements about the manufacture of aircraft. Died at Bournemouth, aged 32, in a flying accident, the first Englishman so to die. There is a statue at the site.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Charles Rolls

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Charles Rolls

English Heritage Charles Rolls, 1877 - 1910, pioneer of motoring and aviation...

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Other Subjects

Biggin Hill Royal Air Force Station

Biggin Hill Royal Air Force Station

The airfield was originally opened by the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. At first it was used for wireless experiments, but was then established as part of the London Air Defence Area, resp...

Place, Armed Forces, Aviation

2 memorials
Short Brothers

Short Brothers

Pioneering aeronautical engineers. Oswald and Eustace formed a partnership in 1897, initially working on balloons. They supplied Charles Rolls, amongst others. In 1908 Horace joined, the company wa...

Group, Aviation, Engineering

1 memorial
Frederick Handley Page

Frederick Handley Page

Aircraft designer and manufacturer. His company manufactured the Halifax bombers used in WW2.

Person, Aviation, Engineering, Transport

1 memorial
Elisabeth Nicole Marie Charlotte Clement-Avoyne

Elisabeth Nicole Marie Charlotte Clement-Avoyne

Elisabeth Nicole Marie Charlotte Avoyne was born on 25 May 1944 in Notre-Dame-d'Estrées, Calvados, Normandy, France. Known as 'Babette', our Picture Source informs that she had joined Pan American...

Person, Aviation, Tragedy, France, Scotland

1 memorial
Royal Air Force Gang Show Association

Royal Air Force Gang Show Association

The name of this organisation sometimes has "Shows" rather than "Show".

Group, Armed Forces, Aviation, Theatre

2 memorials