James Starley (1830 - 1881) developed an interest in sewing machine design after being asked to repair a Newton Wilson machine belonging to his employer's wife. This lead to a job in the Newton Wilson factory, whence he progressed, with one of the partners, to a new venture in Coventry - the Coventry Sewing Machine Co., 1861. This in turn became the Coventry Machinists Company in 1869, when bicycle manufacture was addedd. In 1870, Starley left the company and set up Smith & Starley (with Borthwick Smith), to make Ariel bicycles as well as sewing machines.
Starley's nephew, John Kemp Starley, started work in the Ariel factory, and he in turn subsequently left and founded his own companies, which eventually became the Rover Company. James Starley was regarded as the father of the Coventry cycle industry, and hence of the British motor industry.