undertakers / funeral directors

[yelkcub]

Is there any organisation / association that keeps historic records of practising undertakers - a record that might reach back to the early 1900s? I sent an email request to to the National Association of Funeral Directors, who replied that they possess no such records. Any suggestions appreciated!

[Geoff Wycherley]

I think you might hit a brick wall with this request. As far as I know Funeral Directors/Undertakers were small family run businesses relative to the area they covered and were not involved in the wider areas. The town I was born in had just two undertakers,both family run, one dealt with C of E and the other RC funerals.

Is there a specific reason for your research?

GeoffW

[yelkcub]

Trying to trace a great uncle, described in 1911 census as undertaker, after which I lose sight of him.

[thewideeyedowl]

Hi

Read this earlier today, and initially mis-interpreted the question. (I had been thinking, on and off, about the records that undertakers might be required to keep about the deceased. Obviously, an undertaker would measure the deceased for a coffin, and those measurements could be of great interest to a family historian - especially if there was no photograph of the person who had died. But that wasn't the question. Sorry!)

Anyway, TNA would be the place to start a search about undertakers and legislation.

A bing search for ((undertakers' records) AND archives NOT wrestlers) produced results that suggested that any relevant records are likely to be with a county or local record office. Also remember that carpenters, cabinet makers, even furnishers often doubled as undertakers - so there might be some info in the archives of local businesses at a record office.

Perhaps worth contacting the RO for the area of your research? Also, perhaps check out your great-uncle's name via Access to Archives (A2A), which you can get to through TNA's website. That should show whether he is somewhere in a locally-held archive.

Owl

[Peter Goodey]

Trying to trace a great uncle, described in 1911 census as undertaker, after which I lose sight of him.

Did he run his own business or was he just an employee? This is shown in the census and affects the research paths that are open to you.

Search BMD records for him and his family, obtaining certificates as necessary.

Search trade directories for the firm.

[yelkcub]

That's an excellent point. I made no copy of the 1911 census entry and did not note at the time whether he was an employee or in business on his own account. Next time I'm able to access the public library's Ancestry account I'll check again.

[Nicolina]

if he was an Undertaker then you can check out old Directories for that area at:
https://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/c...16445coll4/hd/

[yelkcub]

Thanks for that: I found the person I was looking for in a 1914 census - there are no later directories for the area, but it all helps build up a timeline

[yelkcub]

Followed Peter Goodey's suggestion - the 1911 census shows that he was proprietor rather than employee.

[geneius]

I would have thought as a business he would be listed in at least the 1911 trade directory for the area of business. Invariably Funeral Directors had another trade.

In my family it was a drapers shop, so they lined the coffins & invariably dressed the corpse. I have been lucky the business records 1880 - 1948 are housed at a Record Office!