Royce, Sir Henry (1863-1933), was a cofounder of the British engineering and manufacturing firm Rolls-Royce. Royce began his own engineering business in 1884, and this business grew into the company Royce, Limited. He designed several automobiles, and by 1904 he had built three experimental models. That year, he merged his firm with the automobile sales company of Charles Rolls to form Rolls-Royce. Royce designed the high-quality automobiles, and Rolls sold them. One of the first automobiles manufactured by Rolls-Royce was the Silver Ghost, which appeared in 1906. In 1915, Royce produced the Eagle aircraft engine. He also designed the Kestrel engine, the forerunner of an engine built into many World War II fighters.
Royce was born on March 27, 1863, near Peterborough, England. His given name was Frederick Henry Royce. Royce began his engineering career at the age of 15 as an apprentice in the workshops of the Great Northern Railway. He was made a baronet in 1930. Royce died on April 22, 1933.
