Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury

(for Shrewsbury and Talbot) and the horses "being of the best possible quality",[1] and he was the first owner to have cabs that were fitted with noiseless tyres operating in London and Paris.

The press reported the terms offered to drivers in detail, then the prices of the horses, and advised that every animal put up for sale had been sold.

[10] In November 1900, Lord Shrewsbury formed another public listed company, Shrewsbury S T and Challiner Tyre Company Limited, to manufacture and deal in cabs, carriages, motor cars, cycles, vehicles, tyres, tubes, wire, India rubber and gutta percha goods, etc.

[11] In December 1903, he was described in a court action brought by Dunlop over the importation of Michelin tyres as "proprietor of the business known as Maison Talbot in London's Long Acre managed by Mr Weigel.

"[12][note 3] In March 1901 he formed British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Limited "with objects sufficiently indicated by the title".

The new premises, (formerly occupied by carriage builders) at 97-98 Long Acre (adjoining 1 Endell Street), covered "four large floors".

[14] Twelve months later, Lord Shrewsbury was made chairman of Messrs J. Rothschild and Son Limited, incorporated to carry on the business of making motor car bodies by expanding the London activities of the well-known French businesses of Clément-Rothschild and Messrs J. Rothschild and Son.

[16] In 1909, he floated Homoil Trust Limited, leading a board of the late engineer-in-chief of the Navy, another colliery owner and a well-known consulting engineer.

The company was formed to purchase and develop various patents for the production of a cheaper home-produced and more efficient substitute for petrol made from coal-tar.

He built for it the United Kingdom's first purpose-built automotive-manufacturing plant in London's North Kensington with his own personal crest set high above the entrance to the administration building.

At Brooklands in November 1912, Lord Shrewsbury's Talbot car of only 25.6 horsepower rating, driven by Percy Lambert, attained a speed of 113.28 miles per hour and broke many other class records.

[20] In January 1915, his only son, Viscount Ingestre, a reservist in the Royal Horse Guards at Regent's Park Barracks, died in London of influenza followed by pneumonia.

Ellen left the house the late Earl had built for her, 'Cariad' in Goring-on-Thames, moving to 'Cariad Cottage' in an equally tranquil setting.