The Freeston business began in 1910 when
E. T. Freeston with his sons arrived at the wheelwright forge, High
Street. The main
work evolved into undertaking and servicing cycles and early motor vehicles
incl. farmers tractors etc. From the experiences of
one son in the Navy in WWII jobs involving battery charging for early radios and
simple repairs became an important line.
E. T. Freeston & Sons - some transactions in the 1930s |
|
Vendor |
Goods |
E. T. Freeston - Mr Warren |
Coffin and sexton's fees |
E. T. Freeston use of telephone for one quarter (Post Office) Blisworth 55 |
£2 9. 6. |
Taking out old grate and setting new. R. E. Law |
£1 3. 6. |
The Palmer Tyre Ltd., Silvertown, London E14 |
3 inner tubes, 16/7d |
The Derngate Motor Co. Ltd., Central Garage, Bearwood St, Northampton |
a second hand Austin 7 £62 |
Rural District Council of Towcester, 1937 1st rate period |
£6 5. 1. |
Shoebridge's, Electrical Engineers, 56 Upper Mounts, Northampton |
Goods £2 12. 6. |
Sturmey-Archer gears Ltd., Nottingham |
Rear Drive sprocket 6/10d Gearbox endcover 13/-d |
S. Smith & Son Ltd., Cricklewood Works, London, NW2 |
Goods 3/-d |
S. & W. Motors Ltd., Abington Street, Northampton (Austin distributors) |
1 bearing 18/5dFront bumper etc. £4 18. 5. |
P. C. Spokes & Son, 1 Henry Street, Northampton |
Reborings £3 10. 10.One Ariel M/Cycle £52 12. 4. |
Joseph Lucas Ltd., Great King Street, Birmingham |
E35 Dynamo repaired £4 11. 4.C45 Dynamo repaired £2 4. 7. |
Charles A. Lee & Co., 6 Cumberland Street, Manchester |
Tyre £1 1. 6. |
Arthur Mulliner Ltd., Repairs and Service, Bridge Street, Northampton |
M/Cycle battery charger 15/9d. |
Motor Commerce Ltd, 53 Short's Gardens, Drury lane, London WC2 |
One year subscription "Automobile Electricity" 12/-d. |
North & Sons Ltd., Whippendell Road, Watford |
26" flexible shaft (speedo) 6/6d. |
The Palmer Tyre Ltd., Broad Street Chambers, Easy Row, Birmingham |
Wired covers and tubes £3 7. 0.1 reinforced cover 1932 patt. £1 2. 9. |
Price's Patent Candle Company Ltd., Battersea, London SW11 |
Goods £2 5. 6. |
Rudge-Whitworth Ltd., Head Office Coventry |
Countershaft etc. 14/11d |
The Rover Company - cash sale |
Axle Pinion 10/9d. |
Standard Valves, Standard Works, Balmoral Road, Northampton |
Goods 7/10d. |
Triumph Company - cash sale |
Pressure plate etc. £1 1. 10. |
Universal Supplies, 166a Warwick Road, London, SW5 |
Service Lister Tourer reg. VX1996£12 10. 0. |
Vacuum Oil Co. Ltd., 6 Caroline Street, Birmingham |
20 gallons Gargoyle Oil £4 19. 2. |
West London Repair Company, 2a Pownall Road, Fulham, SW6 |
Respoking Rover wheel 14/6d. |
Watsonian Sidecars Ltd., Albion Road, Greet, Birmingham |
Repairs £1 4. 0. |
Triumph Engineering Co. Ltd., Coventry |
Valve Guides 2/11d. |
Smith's Timber Company |
4 bags of sawdust 5/-d. |
S. & W. Motors Ltd., Austin House, Abington Street, Northampton |
New 1937 Austin 7 £101 10. 3. |
Rudge-Whitworth Ltd., Coventry |
3 bicycles £13 5. 5. |
The Enfield Cycle Co. Ltd, Redditch |
2 wheels £1 7. 8. |
Roade Motor Service Station, London Road, Roade, Northants |
Goods £3 |
Radio Supply Company, Wood Street, Northampton |
Components (not spec.) £37 7. 1.half-year account |
Qualcast Ltd., - cash sale |
Goods 16/-d. |
Henry Pritchard & Co. Ltd., Albert road, St Philip's, Bristol 2 |
Ristol 10 gall drum £2 7. 1. |
The Pilgrim's Way Motor Company Ltd., Farnham, Surrey |
Plunger and worm bush 4/9d. |
Pheonix Assurance Company Ltd., Leicester |
Fire & Accident Insurance £4 16. 3. |
H. Miller & Co. Ltd., Aston Brook Street, Birmingham 6 |
Recon. dynamo £1 6. 11. |
Arthur Mulliner Ltd, Bridge Street, Northampton |
Hillman Cabriolet repairs £4 11. 8. |
The Lee-Healey Co. Ltd., Marlow Road Mills, Leicester |
20 Std. tourist covers £2 2. 1. |
W. B. Powell Kirby, Cleaver House, Wood Street, Northampton |
1937 annual audit £3 17. 2. |
John Bull Rubber Co. Ltd., Evington Valley Mills, Leicester |
2 Deep grip covers £1 11. 9. |
S. & H. Harris, New Southgate, London, N11 |
1 doz. metal polish etc. £2 1. 3. |
Humber Ltd (cycle dept.), Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham |
1. 2459.3-SPD £4 13 0. |
R. Holliday & Co., St. Giles Street, Northampton |
Acct. rendered 4/6d. |
Great Northern Motors Ltd., High Rd., North Finchley, N12 |
1934 Austin 18HP Carlton de Luxe with occasional seats £85 |
Fiat (England) Ltd., Lancelot road, Wembley, Middx. |
Brake linings £1 14. 5. |
Francis & Barnett Ltd., Lower Ford Street, Coventry (see attached invoice) |
F&B 249cc Cruiser G45 £36 4. 1. |
The Edison Swan Electric Co. Ltd., Ponders End, Middx. |
17 MLP3024 lamps 14/10d. |
Ennals and Cooper, Woolmonger Street, Northampton |
Lub. and governor for Lister engine 3/9d. |
The Northampton Electric Light & Power Company, 25-29 Bridge Street, Northampton |
Qt. end 31/12/1937 electric bill £5 6. 5. |
The Evenflow Pump Company, Dudbridge, Stroud, Glos. |
Electric pump - single phase £8 7. 3. |
Dunlop Rubber Co. ltd., fort Dunlop, Birmingham |
1. STO90COV 350x19 15/6d. |
Cooper-Stewart Engineering Co. Ltd., 136 Long Acre, London WC2 |
repairs to speedo gear box 4/11d. |
Coventry-Eagle Cycle & Motor Co. Ltd., Bishopgate Works, Foleshill Road, Coventry |
2. three-speed boxes £8 0. 6. |
A. J. Coleman & Co., 37 The arcade, Northampton |
32178, 32928, 33917 radio valves £4 19. 8. |
Example invoice demonstrating that a
motor bike can be ordered from Coventry
and delivered by train, evidently at no extra charge other than 1/-d. for
insurance.
(Note the handsome trade discount!)