William Stretton
Encyclopedia
William Stretton was a builder and architect based in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...

.

Family

He was the eldest child of Samuel Stretton
Samuel Stretton
Samuel Stretton was a builder and architect in Nottingham who is noted for building the first powered cotton mill.-Family:...

 and was baptised at Lenton
Lenton, Nottingham
Lenton is an area of the City of Nottingham in the county of Nottinghamshire, England. Politically, it falls within the Nottingham South constituency. Most of the area lies within the electoral ward of "Dunkirk and Lenton", however the "Lenton Triangle" area, considered by most residents to be part...

 on April 20, 1755.

He married Suzanna Lynam, daughter of William Lynam, of Eakring, on 22 June 1778 in Eakring
Eakring
Eakring is a village in the Newark and Sherwood district in Nottinghamshire.-Geography:It is situated between the A617 and the A616 roads between Ollerton and Southwell. Dukes Wood to the south is situated on the top of an escarpment, giving good views over the Trent valley to the east and towards...

. The marriage produced six children, all of whom were given Christian names starting with “S”.
  • Stella, October 1779 - 5 November 1818
  • Sempronius
    Sempronius Stretton
    Colonel Sempronius Stretton CB was a officer in the British Army who served in numerous campaigns including the Battle of Waterloo. He is also known for his sketches that recorded early Canadian life.-Early life:...

    , 15 May 1781 - 6 February 1842
  • Severus, 7 November 1783 - 19 December 1785
  • Salcia, born December 1784
  • Sabina, born July 1787
  • Severus William Lynam Stretton
    Severus William Lynam Stretton
    Lieutenant-Colonel Severus William Lynam Stretton was a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. -Family:...

     May 1793 - 22 November 1884


He died in his house at Lenton Priory on 12 March 1828. His death was announced in the Nottingham Journal
“On Wednesday, the 12th inst, in the 73 rd year of his age, after a long and painful affliction, sustained with true Christian fortitude and resignation, William Stretton, Esq., of Lenton Priory. Words would but faintly convey the deep grief which his irreparable loss has occasioned to those who knew his worth. In him antiquarians have lost a fund of general and useful knowledge, and the poor a warm and benevolent friend.

Business

He started as an architect and builder in Nottingham in partnership with his father, and took over the business when his father retired. In 1799 he is listed as a builder on the Long Row,

He rebuilt the Nottingham Exchange and restored St Mary's Church, Nottingham and St Peter's Church, Nottingham. He built St. James' Church, Standard Hill
St. James' Church, Standard Hill
-History:In 1807 an Act of Parliament sanctioned the erection of a new church, It was opposed by the three clergy of the existing parishes of Nottingham, but the land was acquired in the extra-parochial district of Standard Hill, over which none of the existing clergy had jurisdiction.Despite the...

 in 1808 and three houses between 1810 and 1814 on Standard Hill when this area was first developed.

He acquired a portion of land which had previously been the site of Lenton Priory
Lenton Priory
Lenton Priory was a Cluniac house founded by William Peverel in the early 12th century. The exact date of foundation is unknown but 1102 is frequently quoted.-Cluniac Priory:...

 and built a house there which he called Lenton Priory. This was occupied by the Sisters of Nazareth from 1880 who extended it. It has now been restored as part of a housing development, following the sale of the site by the Sisters of Nazareth.

He made a series of excavations on the site of Lenton Priory and discovered a magnificent Norman font which is now housed in Holy Trinity Church, Lenton
Holy Trinity Church, Lenton
Holy Trinity Church, Lenton is a parish church in the Church of England.The church is Grade II* listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as it is a particularly significant building of more than local interest.-History:...

.

The registers of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham
St. Mary's Church, Nottingham
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is the oldest religious foundation in the City of Nottingham, England, the largest church after the Roman Catholic Cathedral and the largest mediæval building in Nottingham....

, show that he was Churchwarden from Easter 1802 to Easter 1806. During his residence at Lenton Mr. Stretton took an active interest in all public matters, and filled the several parish offices in an efficient manner. He held the two offices of Overseer of the Poor and Surveyor of Highways in 1806 and was Churchwarden in 1810 and 1811. In 1815 he was appointed one of the Overseers of the Poor for Standard Hill.
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