The distinguished and long established firm of Williamson Brothers, Funeral Directors of Birches Head, which spans five generations, prides itself on remaining one of only a few family firms of Funeral Directors in North Staffordshire.
Williamson Brothers was founded in 1927 by Frederick Williamson, a local baker, who named the firm after his two sons, George and Cyril Williamson. Fred was a well-known and respected character in the area, delivering bread by a horse drawn van. He created quite a stir when he became the first baker in the Potteries to deliver bread in a Model-T Ford van. When he became a Funeral Director he originally used a horse-drawn hearse. Years later, he broke new ground once more by being one of the first to replace his horse-drawn hearse with a motorised one. Following Fred’s death in 1957, his sons- Cyril and George- then took over the business.
In 1958, having completed his National Service, George’s son Graham entered the family business. His determination and passion for motor vehicles enabled the company to grow and develop. After years of gradually improving the funeral fleet, in 1982 the company took a significant step forward as they invested in their first brand new hearse and limousines, being the first company in Stoke on Trent to do so. Since then, under the ownership of Graham and his wife Cynthia, the company has expanded further and continues to replace its fleets on a regular basis.
During 1986, in order to maintain and improve the level of service available, a new funeral home, Birch House, was built. Following this, further expansion took place in 2008 to provide larger and better facilities and additional office space. Most recently, in 2014, a visitors car park was completed, directly opposite Birch House.
Today, Graham and Cynthia’s son Robert, who began working within the company in 1979, and his wife Lesley manage the business, making them the fourth generation, continuing the traditions of the company. They are supported by their son James, who joined the company in 2016 having gained a first class honours degree at Loughborough University. The Williamson Family continue to be supported by a dedicated team of staff who have served the company over many years and offer a wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience.