Bentley beginnings

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Bill Kibby
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Bentley beginnings

Post by Bill Kibby »

I have been reading your page about Bentleys
http://www.piano-tuners.org/history/bentley-pianos/

and wondered if anyone can help with a puzzle. You say that Stroud began using the Bentley name in 1930, but who was using it before?

About halfway down my archives page
http://www.pianohistory.info/archives.html
I mention that Booth & Brookes were supplying frames to Bentley pianos in 1911, but I can't find out who made the pianos.
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Re: Bentley beginnings

Post by Barrie Heaton »

Bill Kibby wrote:I have been reading your page about Bentleys
http://www.piano-tuners.org/history/bentley-pianos/

and wondered if anyone can help with a puzzle. You say that Stroud began using the Bentley name in 1930, but who was using it before?
The Bentley name or Stroud name. if Bentley, then Grover & Grover they changed the company name to Bentley because the Bentley model was selling so well in the far east so cashed in on the name.

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Bill Kibby
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Re: Bentley beginnings

Post by Bill Kibby »

Sorry, I obviously didn't make myself understood.

In 1930 The Stroud Piano Co. became known as Bentley.

Who made Bentley pianos in 1911?
Piano History Centre
http://pianohistory.info
Email via my website.
If you find old references or links on this site to pianogen.org, they should refer to pianohistory.info
Barrie Heaton
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Re: Bentley beginnings

Post by Barrie Heaton »

Bill Kibby wrote:Sorry, I obviously didn't make myself understood.

In 1930 The Stroud Piano Co. became known as Bentley.

Who made Bentley pianos in 1911?
it would be Grover & Grover who would have made the Bentley piano model.

I will see if I can dig out David Grover Email address it will be on my old computer he can give the full details

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Re: Bentley beginnings

Post by Barrie Heaton »

from David

The Bentley name and the first Bentley, an overstrung, were introduced in 1930 and Bentley was registered as a company. Although, perhaps curiously, Bentley continued to be sold by The Stroud Piano Co. Ltd. into the 1960s, when rationalisation of this aspect was then carried out.
My grandfather founded his own firm in 1906 in London and moved to Stroud in 1911. His father’s firm, Grover & Grover, was still going, and so he used other names - e.g. Hampton, Gladman, Stroud - and dealers’ names, as was common at the time at the commercial end of the market.

I hope this answers your queries.
Best wishes
David


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