Born in Alwalton, near Peterborough, Sir Frederick Henry Royce rose from humble beginnings to become one of Britain’s most celebrated engineers. Apprenticed in the railway works at Peterborough before moving to London, Royce developed a talent for precision engineering that would change automotive history.
In 1904, he met Charles Rolls, and together they founded Rolls-Royce Ltd, creating “the best car in the world” and later producing the legendary Merlin aircraft engines that powered Spitfires and Lancasters. Known for his meticulous craftsmanship and the motto “Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble”, Royce was knighted in 1930 for his contributions to engineering.
Though he spent his later years in West Wittering, Sussex, his roots in the Peterborough area remain an enduring point of local pride.