They
began their married life by farming the Brooklands estate but Hugh was
passionately interested in motor racing and soon began building a race track on
their land. The Motor Car Act of 1903 in Britain restricted motor vehicles to a
20 miles per hour speed limit which meant that trials between motor vehicles
could not take place on public roads.
The
earliest mention of a trial between motor vehicles was recorded as being from
Paris to Rouen in July 1894, which was followed in 1895 with a race between
Paris and Bordeaux.
Ethel
took over the supervision of the development of the Brooklands racing circuit and aerodrome when the hard work involved in
organising the construction adversely affected her husband’s health. Ethel’s
family helped out, lending sufficient money to pay off debts incurred by
the building work. Brooklands Motor Racing Circuit and Aerodrome was opened on
June 1907 with a luncheon for motor car manufacturers. On 17th June 1907, Ethel led the inaugural
procession of cars on to the track in her Itala car. The first race was held on 6th
July 1907 and around ten thousand people attended the event. Women were not allowed to race but in 1908 the Ladies Bracelet Handicap was run with nine entrants. The winner was Muriel Thompson in an Austin, with Ethel Locke-King in the Italia second and Christobel Ellis in an Arrol-Johnston third. The Brooklands Automobile Club then banned women drivers until 1928. A similar ban was imposed on women's football teams after WW1.
During the First World War, Ethel Locke-King (seen here on the right) was Assistant County
Director of Surrey, UK. She was responsible for establishing and organising
twelve auxiliary military hospitals, one of which was in their home Brooklands
House and is now
Brooklands College. Several of the other
hospitals were in houses owned by Hugh Locke-King. Ethel oversaw the management of 700
volunteers in nineteen Voluntary Aid Detachments. Mena House Hotel in Egypt was requisitioned for use by
the Australian Army during WW1.
For
her work during the conflict, Ethel was appointed Dame Commander of the Order
of the British Empire (DBE) in 1918.
If you
have not already visited Brooklands, I can highly recommend it. The banking was absolutely incredible and
would never be permitted in Formula One today.
After the death of her husband in 1926, Ethel continued to farm the
Brooklands estate, with particular interest in their herd of Guernsey cattle. After Hugh Locke King’s death in 1926, Dame
Ethel continued to play an active role in the Brooklands track company until
its sale to new investors in 1936. She
died in 1956.
The
famous British race track, which was the first purpose-built circuit for racing
motor cars in the world, is the subject of a temporary exhibition being held at
Brooklands Museum in April 2017. The
Exhibition, which is organised by the Surrey Museums Partnership together with
43 Surrey museums, will to mark Surrey Museums Month. The theme of this year’s
Museums Month, held annually. This year’s theme celebrates the history of the
county’s “Surrey Women”.
To find out more about the exhibition at
Brooklands please see their website https://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/about/latest-news/april-is-surrey-museums-month
Sources:
http://www.infobritain.co.uk/History_Of_Motor_Racing.htm
https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/news/women-in-motorsport-social-history-the-belles-of-brooklands/
and the Brooklands Museum website.
https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/news/women-in-motorsport-social-history-the-belles-of-brooklands/
and the Brooklands Museum website.
