John Siddeley, 1st Baron Kenilworth

The eldest son of William Siddeley and his wife born Elizabeth Davenport, J D Siddeley was born in Longsight, Manchester in 1866. At first he worked for his father as an apprentice hosier but took night classes in draughting. In 1892, the young man, who had become a bicycle racer and designer, was hired as a draughtsman by the Humber Cycle Company. The then managing director of Dunlop picked him out at Humber and hired Siddeley as Dunlop's Belfast sales manager. In 1900 as managing director of Dunlop's Midlands subsidiary Clipper Tyre Company he gained prominence in the motor industry by driving a 6 hp Daimler car through England's Thousand Miles Trial with marked success. This followed cycling from Land's End to John o' Groats to publicise the new pneumatic tyre.

He married Sarah Mabel Goodier, daughter of James Goodier of Macclesfield, in 1893 and they lived in Belfast for a short time, but by August 1894 they were living in Meriden, Coventry where their eldest son, Cyril, was born. They were to have three sons and two daughters.