Irish lives

William Harvey du Cros (1846–1918)

William Havey du Cros (1846–1918), entrepreneur, was born on June 19th, 1846, son of Edouard Pierre du Cros and Maria du Cros (née Molloy); the family was of Huguenot ancestry, and lived in Moone, Co Kildare, and Dublin. The young man was unhappy at home, especially after his mother died (1859), and after attending King’s Hospital school (1855–60) equally unhappily, he left home to make his own way at the age of 15. He became a book-keeper at Brooks Thomas, Dublin; married Annie Roy of Durrow, Queen’s Co (Laois), in 1866; and soon had the first of their seven sons to provide for. In his 30s he took up gymnastics, cycling and other sports to improve his health. Always ambitious and competitive, he quickly made his name; he won Irish amateur fencing and light- and middleweight boxing championships, and founded and trained Bective Rangers rugby football club, which won the Irish championship with Du Cros as captain.

As president of the Irish Cyclists’ Association, he was approached in 1889 by two Dublin businessmen, William Bowden and JM Gillies, associates of John Dunlop, who had

developed the new air-filled tyre, then revolutionising the sport of cycling. Du Cros immediately seized his opportunity: a company was set up (1889) in which he had complete control. Production was moved to England after 1890, when Dublin Corporation took action against the unpopular odours of rubber manufacture. The business under Du Cros and his sons flourished: du Cros negotiated successfully with Dunlop and with others who patented improvements in rubber tyres and their manufacture. The company expanded rapidly; Dunlop resigned from the board on March 16th, 1895. In 1896 Du Cros, backed by speculators, bought up shares in the Pneumatic Tyre Company and floated a new concern, the Dunlop Rubber Company. Du Cros oversaw the introduction of new products, including motorcar tyres from 1900, and helped introduce motor taxicabs to London. Du Cros was conservative MP for Hastings from the general election of 1906 till 1908, and was a chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur. He moved back to Ireland in 1918, and died in Dalkey, Co Dublin, on December 21st, 1918. Linde Lunney

Adapted from the Royal Irish Academy’s Dictionary of Irish Biography. See dib.ie