Gertrude Holt Sutcliffe
We know that Gertrude was one of 4 children of Robert Sutcliffe (b.1837 – d.1912) and Betsy Holt (1845 – 1907) and was born in January 1871, the 3rd child after Eleanor Hamer Sutcliffe b. 1863, John Hamer Sutcliffe b. 1867 and finally Ethel May Sutcliffe b. 1876. Robert Sutcliffe was proprietor of a pair of shops in Rochdale, one on Lord St and one where the family lived at 76 Drake St, and later 82 and 84 Drake Street. The shop was named Hamer House and sold all manner of general items – Newspaper Advert – from household, industrial and Optical products, for wholesale and retail.
Robert and then subsequently his son John Hamer were pioneers in the Optometry industry in the UK, with John being the founder of the British Optical Association Museum in 1901. and more can be read about John Hamer here.
Gertrude was 28 and Leonard, 25 when they married and it seems as though she remained married in name, at least, for the rest of her life as we can find no record of divorce. In 1911 she was living with her widowed father at 84 Drake St, and was a Milliner and listed “Manageress” working at home , so we have to assume that she was managing the whole store as her father at that time was 73 years old. We can also see that he lists having 5 children “born alive” rather than the 4 that we have to date found. She was clearly, according to her obituary a talented musician, linguist and organiser throughout her life. She died in 1947 in Littleborough just outside Rochdale and her obituary can be seen here.