Our History & Heritage
Burman Bros was founded in the early 1920’s by Thomas and John Burman, the oldest of four brothers who lived at Kent Villa 17 Rock Hill, Bromsgrove, with their parents.
Thomas had been apprenticed as a carpenter and cabinet maker at Grays Builders and Undertakers, Perry Lane, Bromsgrove. He was interested in the woodwork but did not want to have anything to do with the funeral business.
However, during his time there, Bromsgrove was hit with the flu epidemic and many people were dying. Most of the building staff were taken ill, so Thomas was compelled to become involved in the funeral business. As a result of this, at the end of his apprenticeship, Thomas and his younger brother John set up in business as carpenters and funeral directors and called the business Burman Bros. They were later joined by their younger brother Leslie.
In 1939 war was declared and Leslie was called up in the Army. Later John went to work at the Railway Wagon Works in St Godwolds Road, Aston Fields.
Thomas carried on with the funeral business with casual help and he acquired a funeral business in Worcester where he parked two hearses. The coffin making continued at Bromsgrove.
In 1947, there were record floods in Worcester, unfortunately the hearses were trapped in flood water in Hylton Road for several weeks. The hearses were not useable again and as insurance was not available, this was a bitter blow to the business, but continued to hire hearses until ill health forced Tom to retire in 1965. The business was bought by R.L.Rea.