Frederick Rushbrooke
Encyclopedia
Frederick William Rushbrooke (9 December 1861 - 1953) was the founder of Halfords
, one of the United Kingdom
's largest chains of cycle
shops.
in Staffordshire
, Frederick Rushbrooke initially established himself in business as a wholesale
ironmonger in Birmingham
. For recreation he enjoyed cycling on his pennyfarthing. In 1902 he opened a branch of his business in Halford Street in Leicester
and called it the Halford Cycle Shop.
He bought Burcot Grange, a country house in Burcot
in 1927 but ten years later decided to donate it to the Birmingham & Midland Eye Hospital
as an annex to treat inflammation
of the eye
.
He died in 1953.
Halfords
Halfords Group plc is a leading retailer of car parts, car enhancements and bicycles operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Czech Republic and more recently in Poland, although it is currently pulling out of the latter two countries...
, one of the United Kingdom
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...
's largest chains of cycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
shops.
Career
The son of a miller and confectioner from WillenhallWillenhall
Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, Frederick Rushbrooke initially established himself in business as a wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
ironmonger in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. For recreation he enjoyed cycling on his pennyfarthing. In 1902 he opened a branch of his business in Halford Street in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and called it the Halford Cycle Shop.
He bought Burcot Grange, a country house in Burcot
Burcot, Worcestershire
Burcot is a village in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire.Burcot has a garden centre.-Compass:...
in 1927 but ten years later decided to donate it to the Birmingham & Midland Eye Hospital
City Hospital, Birmingham
City Hospital is a major hospital in the city of Birmingham, England. It is located in the Winson Green area of the west of the city....
as an annex to treat inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
of the eye
Human eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
.
He died in 1953.