4 ▁at ▁Hay ling ▁Island , ▁Ham pshire , ▁England , ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁five ▁sons ▁and ▁one ▁daughter ▁of ▁Thomas ▁Wil ks ▁( born ▁Bal ham ), ▁a ▁Director ▁of ▁Le ather ▁Co ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Jane ▁El iza ▁( born ▁St . ▁Sep ul ch re , ▁London ), ▁a ▁Su ff ra get te . ▁One ▁of ▁his ▁brothers ▁was ▁Sp encer ▁Wil ks ▁who ▁became ▁man aging ▁director , ▁chairman ▁and ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁R over ▁Car ▁Company . ▁He ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Mal vern ▁College . ▁ ▁Career ▁Maurice ▁Wil ks ▁worked ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁for ▁the ▁Hill man ▁Motor ▁Car ▁Company ▁in ▁Cov entry . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁General ▁Mot ors ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁but ▁after ▁two ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁returned ▁to ▁England ▁and ▁Hill man . ▁ ▁Wil ks ▁remained ▁at ▁Hill man ▁as ▁a ▁planning ▁engineer ▁until ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁when ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁R over ▁Company ▁as ▁chief ▁engineer ▁following ▁his ▁much ▁older ▁brother , ▁Sp encer . ▁Sp encer ▁Wil ks ▁had ▁been ▁brought ▁in ▁from ▁Hill man ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁by ▁R over ' s ▁Frank ▁S ear le ▁made ▁general ▁manager ▁and ▁given ▁a ▁seat ▁on ▁R over ' s ▁board ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁Sp encer ▁would ▁be ▁appointed ▁man aging ▁director ▁of ▁R over ▁from ▁ 1 9