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

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

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
Stretford

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 1st November 1887. Barrett Street ran north westwards from Cross Street to Hullard Street.

Limelight Building

Shrewsbury Street

Old Trafford

Stretford

2001

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

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
Stretford

2009

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
Stretford

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
Stretford

7 July 2011

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
Stretford

2002

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

Stretford

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

Stretford 

4 February

2018