Frank Hornby
Inventor of Meccano, Hornby trains, and Dinky Toys.
Frank Hornby (15 May 1863 – 21 September 1936) was an English inventor, businessman, and politician. Despite lacking any formal engineering education, he created three of the most iconic engineering-themed toy lines of the 20th century: Meccano, Hornby Model Railways, and Dinky Toys. He established the British toy company Meccano Ltd in 1908 and started the monthly magazine *Meccano Magazine* in 1916.
Born at 77 Copperas Hill in Liverpool on 15 May 1863, Hornby was the son of John Oswald Hornby, a provision merchant, and his wife Martha. (His birth certificate gives 15 May, though the family bible records 2 May.) He left school at sixteen to work as a cashier in his father’s business. On 15 January 1887, he married schoolteacher Clara Walker Godefroy; they had two sons, Roland and Douglas, and a daughter, Patricia. After his father died in 1899, the family business closed, and Hornby became a bookkeeper for David Hugh Elliot, a Liverpool meat importer.
Experimenting in his home workshop, Hornby began making toys for his sons in 1899 from sheet metal. He built bridges, trucks, and cranes, but the pieces weren’t interchangeable. The breakthrough came when he realized that separate, interchangeable parts could be bolted together to build any model. The key was perforating the structural pieces at regular intervals, allowing them to be joined with nuts and bolts and also to act as bearings for axles and shafts. He initially hand-cut copper strips half an inch wide with holes spaced half an inch apart, making his own nuts and bolts before finding a supplier.
By late 1900, he had a marketable set of parts. Borrowing £5 from his employer, he patented his invention in January 1901 as "Improvements in Toy or Educational Devices for Children and Young People." He struggled to find manufacturers, but his employer saw potential and offered him vacant premises next to the office. Elliot and Hornby became partners.
Hornby called the toy "Mechanics Made Easy." After a positive endorsement from Professor Henry Selby Hele-Shaw of Liverpool University, he secured contracts for parts. The first sets went on sale in 1902, containing just 16 different parts and a leaflet for 12 models. In 1903, 1,500 sets sold but made no profit. By 1904, six sets were available in tin boxes with French and English manuals. A small profit came in 1906.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 15 May 1863
- Birth Place
- Copperas Hill, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
- Death Date
- 21 September 1936 · 1863 · 5 · 15
- Death Place
- Maghull, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
- Known For
- Inventor of Meccano
- Occupation
- Toy inventor · businessman · politician
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Frank Hornby was born on 15 May 1863 at 77 Copperas Hill, Liverpool, Lancashire, to John Oswald Hornby, a provision merchant, and his wife Martha. The date has been questioned: it is the date on his birth certificate, but the family bible entry in his mother's handwriting gives 2 May. At sixteen he left school and worked as a cashier in his father's business. After his father died in 1899, Hornby became a bookkeeper for a meat importing business. Experimenting in his home workshop, he began making toys for his sons in 1899 from sheet metal. The breakthrough came when he realized that regular perforations in structural pieces could be used both to join them and to journal axles. He patented his invention in January 1901 as 'Improvements in Toy or Educational Devices for Children and Young People', borrowing £5 from his employer, David Elliot, to cover costs. Elliot became his partner, and in 1902 'Mechanics Made Easy' sets went on sale. By 1907, Hornby quit his job and began manufacturing his own parts. In September 1907 he registered the 'Meccano' trademark. Meccano Ltd was formed on 30 May 1908, with Hornby as sole proprietor. The factory moved to Binns Road, Liverpool, which became headquarters for over 60 years.
Reader's Guide
Frank Hornby's significance lies in his creation of three enduring toy lines—Meccano, Hornby Model Railways, and Dinky Toys—that introduced engineering principles to generations of children and hobbyists. Despite lacking formal engineering training, his invention of interchangeable, perforated metal strips allowed the construction of complex models, a concept that became the foundation of Meccano. His business acumen led to the founding of Meccano Ltd in 1908 and the launch of Meccano Magazine in 1916, which fostered a global community of enthusiasts. By the 1930s, his inventions made him a millionaire, and he briefly served as a Conservative MP for Everton from 1931 to 1935. His legacy persists worldwide: enthusiasts still build Meccano models, run Hornby trains, and collect Dinky Toys. The 150th anniversary of his birth was celebrated in Liverpool and Brighton on 15 May 2013, and a Google Doodle appeared on the UK homepage. A local Wetherspoons pub in Maghull is named The Frank Hornby.
Did You Know?
- Hornby's birth date is disputed: his birth certificate says 15 May 1863, but the family bible entry in his mother's handwriting gives 2 May.
- He borrowed £5 from his employer, David Elliot, to patent his invention in January 1901.
- His first construction toy was called 'Mechanics Made Easy' before he registered the Meccano trademark in September 1907.
- Hornby was elected as a Conservative MP for the Everton constituency in 1931 and stood down at the 1935 General Election.
More in Toy inventors 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced