Blue Plaques in Stretford

Dame Isobel Baillie (1895-1983)

Dame Isobel Baillie made her debut with the Halle Orchestra in 1921 and by the 1930s was a world wide performer. In 1933 she became the first British singer to perform at the Hollywood Bowl and was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1978.

524 Stretford Road,
Old Trafford

24 July 1991

James Gibson (1877-1951)

James Gibson was a businessman who was responsible for saving Manchester United from financial ruin in the 1930s. The plaque is a red plaque rather than blue with the Trafford coat of arms.

Old Trafford Bridge

26 October 2000

L.S Lowry (1887-1976)

Lowry was an internationally acclaimed artist. He was born at 8 Barrett Street in Stretford on the 1 November 1887. Barrett Street ran north westwards from Cross Street to Hullard Street.

Limelight Building, Shrewsbury Street, Old Trafford

2001

Dodie Smith (1896-1990)

Dodie Smith was a playwright and author of the book The One Hundred and One Dalmatians. As a child she lived on Talbot Road in Stretford.

Talbot Road

2002

John Rylands (1801-1888) and Enriqueta Rylands (1843-1908)

John Rylands was a entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was the first multi-millionaire in Manchester and responsible for the building of Stretford Public Hall and Longford Hall. Enriqueta Rylands founded the John Rylands library in Manchester.

Longford Park

2009

Superintendent James Bent (1848-1901)

James Bent was a policeman. He was responsible for setting up a soup kitchen in Old Trafford, Stretford. The soup kitchen potentially saved thousands of starving children during the winter of 1878.

RCL and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning building, Old Trafford

26 March 2010

Duncan Edwards (1936-1958)

Duncan Edwards was a Manchester United and England footballer. During his career he lived in Stretford. He was one of the eight Busby Babes who lost their lives in the Munich Air Disaster in 1958. The plaque was unveiled on July 8th 2011 by Sir Bobby Charlton. 

19 Gorse Road

7 July 2011

Tommy Taylor (1932-1958)

Tommy Taylor was a Manchester United and England footballer. During his career he lived in Stretford. He was one of the eight Busby Babes who lost their lives in the Munich Air Disaster in 1958. The plaque was unveiled on July 8th 2011 by the former cricket umpire Dickie Bird.

22 Great Stone Road

7 July 2011

Ford Motor Company

The Ford Motor Company was opened in Trafford Park in October 1911 to assemble Model T cars and trucks and was the first outside America and Canada; over 300,000 vehicles were built before operations were transferred to Dagenham, Essex in 1931. The Second World War (1939-1945) resulted in Ford returning to Trafford Park to produce the Rolls Royce Merlin aero-engine under licence which was used in both the Spitfire and the Lancaster.

The new factory on Barton Dock Road was located close to the original Ford site and on completion the factory buildings spanned over 44 acres. By June 1941 the company was producing 400 engines a month; by 1943 this had risen to 900. The Merlin engine was described by the Royal Air Force as a “Wizard Engine”

intu Trafford Centre

 2014

Charles Harry Coverdale V.C.

Charles Henry Coverdale was born at 12 Albert Terrace, Old Trafford, Stretford in 1888. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery during the First World War, 1914-1918 on October 4 1917 at Poelcapelle in Belgium. He died in 1955.

Limelight Building, Shrewsbury Street, Old Trafford

4 October 2017 

Tom Curry

Tom Curry was born in 1894 in South Shields, County Durham. He was a trainer for Manchester United football club and was one of three members of staff who lost their lives in the Munich Air Disaster on 6 February 1958.

1 Bedford Road, Firswood

4 February 2018 

Born on 12 June 1887, at 2 Crosby Place, Steven Street, Stretford, James Neville Marshall was an acting Lieutenant Colonel attached to the Lancashire Fusiliers.

On 4 November 1918, while commanding the 16th Battalion at the Battle of the Sambre, a partially-constructed bridge over the Sambre-Oise Canal came under concentrated fire by enemy forces and was broken before his advancing troops could cross.

At once, James organised repair parties and, under intense fire, stood on the bank encouraging his men and assisting in the work. When the bridge was repaired, James attempted to cross at the head of his battalion and was killed. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in February 1919.

Edward Colquhoun Charlton was born on 15 June 1920 in Gateshead, County Durham and moved to Stretford aged 5.

Edward enlisted in the Irish Guards, completing his training at Caterham Depot, Surrey. He was called up to the 2nd Battalion Irish Guards on 19 September 1940.

In 1942 he joined the 2nd (Armoured) Battalion, Irish Guards and shortly after D Day (6 June 1944) he was sent to the Guards Armoured Division 1st Squadron as a Tank Co-Driver. 

On 21 April 1945, he was co-driver of a tank which, with a platoon of infantry, seized the village of Wistedt, Germany. When attacked by the enemy Edward, on his own initiative, decided to counter attack, advancing in full view of the enemy and inflicting heavy casualties. Despite having been wounded several times in his arm Edward mounted his gun on a fence and continued firing until finally collapsing from his injuries. Edward was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) posthumously.

12 Basford Road, Stretford M16 OGE

Lord Kitchener (real name Aldwyn Roberts) is widely known as the “Grandmaster” of calypso music, Trinidad’s native musical style. Also known by the names “Kitch” and the “Road King”, Lord Kitchener achieved international success and legendary status throughout his long career. He arrived in England on HMT Empire Windrush on 21st June 1948.

He moved to Manchester in 1953, briefly owning a night club, whilst continuing to record songs. Lord Kitchener lived at various addresses in Manchester and Trafford, including 48, Brooks Road (1957-1962).

He performed at the Manchester Carnival in 1962 and was part of the milieu which gave birth to the Notting Hill carnival, in the late 1960s.

48 Brooks Road, Stretford M16 9QR