The St Stephen's Motor & Cycle Depot

10 Hamilton Place

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Question

1.

What make of Car?

If you recognise what make of car this is, parked outside St Stephen's Motor & Cycle Depot at 10 Hamilton Place, Stockbridge, Edinburgh, please e-mail me.

Thank you.    - Peter Stubbs

Malcolm Cant who provided this photo commented that there appears to be a box and can on the running board and  asked what would have been stored there.

Comment

Not yet identified

Douglas Glass has worked for many years for motoring companies in Edinburgh.  He tells me he believes that this car may have been put together by the St Stephen's Motor & Cycle Depot using  parts from different models.

Douglas Glass, Edinburgh 15 November 2005

Question 1

Answer

1.

Car identified

Thank you to Engel Nelson, Clermiston, Edinburgh,  for providing the details below in September 2006.

Engel's father also appears in the photo.  He is the small boy, Anton Engelbrecht Neilson Jr, born in 1908. 

He appears to be aged about 4 in the photo, so the photo would probably have been taken around 1912.

The Shop

"St Stephen's Motor and Cycle Depot, at 10 Hamilton Place in the photograph above, was owned by Anton Engelbrecht Neilson.  He came to Edinburgh from Scandinavia.  On his arrival here, he changed his name from Neilson to Nelson to improve his business prospects.

For a while, he was in business with a Mr Johanson, another Scandinavian.  He changed his name from Johanson to Johnstone to improve his business prospects."

Anton Engelbrecht also had premises in the pend at Stockbridge, No 20 Hamilton Place."

The People

"The people in this photograph are (left to right):

-  Jack Thomson, apprentice

-  Anton Engelbrecht Neilson, owner of the shop

-  Anton Engelbrecht Neilson, Jr , son of the shop owner

-  Charlotte McLeod Garrick, wife of the shop owner.

The Car

"My father, Anton,  told me that the car was owned by a local doctor, and that the make was a 'Striker' or 'Straker'."

Engel Nelson, Edinburgh:  September 2006

A E Nelson's Businesses

Details taken from the 'Edinburgh & Leith Trade Directories'

The details below have all been taken from Edinburgh & Leith Trade Directories.

1904-09

Nelson & Johnstone, Cycle Makers & Dealers, 11 St Stephen Street.

1910-11

E Nelson, Cycle Makers & Dealers, 11 St Stephen Street.

Why did he use the  name 'E Nelson' rather than 'A Nelson'?

1912-13

E Nelson, Cycle Makers & Repairer, 10 Hamilton Place.

1916-17

E Nelson not found in the directories.

1918

E Nelson, 20 Hamilton Place.

1919

I've not checked this directory

1920-35

E Nelson, Motor Repairers, 20 Hamilton Place.

1936-39

I've not checked these directories

1940-45

St Stephen's Motors Ltd,  20 Hamilton Place.

Question 1

Answer

2.

Fuller Details

Thank you to Mike Budd, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Hampshire, England, who wrote:

The Car

'Straker-Squire'

The car marque which most conveniently ties in with the family memory of the vehicle is a Straker-Squire, built in Bristol.

We have not, unfortunately, been able to establish beyond doubt that this is a Straker-Squire, but the layout of the bodywork is similar to models produced by that firm between 1908 and 1912.

During this period the cars were available with both wood-spoked and wire wheels, although the latter were more common in the later years.

The car in question does not have a windscreen fitted;  rather surprisingly a number of Strakers in photographs of this period seem to have been driven in such a manner.

The large lamps fitted suggest a fair amount of night driving and perhaps it was felt that a glass screen (pre-wiper days remember) impaired visibility at night.

The front hood, when raised, would have been secured to the chassis by long straps, to control it when under way.

Mike Budd, Reference Library Volunteer at National Motor Museum,
 Beaulieu, Hampshire, England:  October 5, 2006

Question 1

Answer

3.

Fuller Details

Thank you to Jim Duncan, who was born at 22 Hamilton Place, for replying.

Jim wrote:

The Car

"The box is probably for tools while the can (if you look closely) appears connected and could well be oil."

Jim Duncan, Northern New Brunswick, Canada:  April 27, 2009

Jim added

"Another interesting thought - What powered the lights? Could the can be some form of Acetylene generator?"

Jim Duncan, Northern New Brunswick, Canada:  April 28, 2009

Question

2.

Who is the 5th Person in the Photo?

Peter Clarke wrote:

"The names of the 4 people from left to right are given.  However, I'm intrigued to know who is the young lady or girl at the far right ?  Does anyone have any info?"

Peter Clarke, Peebles, Scottish Borders, Scotland:  September 10, 2009

Peter added:

"As a child, I had relatives who lived in Stockbridge.

There's something about the St. Stephens Motor and Cycle Depot photograph that completely fascinates me.  Great photographs tell a story and this for me is a truly great example.

However the story is not complete without knowing who the young lady is on the extreme right.  I know its a million to one shot and I no longer have a photo to compare but she looks a bit like my great grandmother."

Peter Clarke, Peebles, Scottish Borders, Scotland:  September 11+13, 2009

Hamilton Place

Stockbridge