Career
Orphaned, he started working at the General Electric Company in London, aged 16, as a ledger clerk, before moving into the sales and finally the export department. In 1926, he left General Electric Company to join the Electrical Equipment & Carbon Company in New Oxford Street. He was a keen amateur football player, playing with the Christ Church Athletic Club for many years, which is where he met Ray Parsons.
In 1938, Jack Bowthorpe exhibited at the Leipzig Fair.
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 Limited was established with the help of Park Trust Limited (Lord Doverdale"s family trust). He operated his business from a garage in 8, Eagle Street, London, West.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 United Kingdom"s largest electrical businesses.
He was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to British Industry in 1978.
He died later that year.
