Jack Bowthorpe

Jack Bowthorpe (8 July 1905 – 24 July 1978) was the founder of Spirent plc, one of the United Kingdom's largest telecommunications businesses.

Early life

Orphaned, he started working at the General Electric Co. in London, aged 16, as a ledger clerk, before moving into the sales and finally the export department. In 1926, he left GEC to join the Electrical Equipment & Carbon Co. in New Oxford Street.

Career Borrowing £2,000 from a relative, Jack Bowthorpe started his own business in 1936 originally trading as Goodlife Electrical Supplies although, on repayment of the loan in 1938, Bowthorpe Electric Ltd was established with the help of Park Trust Ltd (Lord Doverdale's family trust). He operated his business from a garage in 8, Eagle Street, London, W.C.1., cutting up electrical wiring into standard lengths and selling it to the aircraft industry. He was one of the first people to realise that the purpose of different cables needed to be identified by the colour of their sleevings. He initially employed one person, Ray Parsons, to assist him and together they built the Company into one of the UK's largest electrical businesses.

He was awarded the CBE for services to British Industry in 1978. He died later that year.

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