The Heron featured on the family crest of the Bowden family.
Sir Frank Bowden famously bought the Raleigh company in 1888 after initially buying one of their bicycles to improve his health.
Hence the Heron subsequently being used by 'Raleigh'.
Hardly a 'cottage industry', by 1913 they were the largest cycle manufacturers in the world.
Don't forget that up until the very early 1960's cars were ridiculously expensive in the UK and beyond the reach of the average working man.
Practically everyone rode a Raleigh, BSA, Hercules etc to work and back.
Even as a boy in the 1970's and living near the car factory in Cowley, Oxford (home of the modern 'Mini') I can remember the factory gates opening at 'clocking-off time' and thousands of bicycles flooding out.