Summary
Edward Alfred was the fifth child of Samuel and Kate Stretton. Having married Gertrude Williams in King’s Norton in 1890, they made their home in Cheltenham where he established a successful business. From first selling bicycles, including his own “Stretton Million” brand, he evolved with the times, moving into motorcycle sales and finally motor cars. It was Edward who supplied brother John Lionel with his cars from the early 1900s. The Archive contains a wealth of material from Edward and his wife, includung scans of nine photograph albums and one scrapbook which tells much of his motor business.
| Archive Link | Link to Edward’s documents and images |
|---|---|
| No of Documents | 24 |
| No of Images | 3 |
| No of Photo Albums | 10 |
| Born | Saturday, 23 May 1863 |
| Birthplace | Kidderminster, Worcestershire |
| Died | Thursday, 05 November 1908 |
Family
Edward was born into a large family of fifteen children, three of whom died very young and only two of whom were girls. He was the fifth child of Samuel and Kate.
His wife, Gertrude (Née Williams), clearly had similar interests to Edward as she is reported and pictured in the 17 May 1902 edition of Autocar as being a “pioneer lady motor bicyclist”.
Edward’s grandson, David Lionel Tilt, was Toastmaster to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
Career
Edward established a business in Bath Road, Cheltenham initially selling bicycles. As the motorisation developed he sold off all his old bicycle stock in an auction on 30 July 1903. The catalogue can be viewed on pages 21 and 23 in his Scrapbook, that also contains much information about the business. The business evolved into a car and motorcycle garage, an advert for which is included in the Scrapbook on page 17.
Edward’s older brother, John Lionel, was an early client first purchasing an Oldsmobile.
Notable aspects
• Bicycle and motor business in Cheltenham
• Supplier of “Stretton Million” bicycles
• Patented the “Stretton Folding Toothbrush”
| Place of Death | Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Gertrude (Née Williams) |
| Father | Samuel Stretton |
| Mother | Kate Stretton (née Birch) |
| Sibling 1 | William Richard Stretton |
| Sibling 2 | Ernest Samuel Stretton |
| Sibling 3 | John Lionel Stretton |
| Sibling 4 | Kate Mary Stretton |
| Sibling 5 | Unnamed twin |
| Sibling 6 | Unnamed twin |
| Sibling 7 | Gertrude Rosa Stretton |
| Sibling 8 | Harry Weston Stretton |
| Sibling 9 | Robert Bertram Stretton |
| Sibling 10 | Francis Byrche Stretton |
| Sibling 11 | Hubert Arthur Stretton |
| Sibling 12 | Sidney Sturges Stretton |
| Sibling 13 | Archibald Callendar Stretton |
| Sibling 14 | Philip Cecil Braddyll Stretton |
| Child 1 | Edward Guy Stretton |
| Child 2 | Gertrude Mary Josephine Stretton |