Humble Beginnings

Records for the first funeral carried out by Arthur Jary start in 1899. Arthur Jary carried out funerals earlier as part of his business as a carpenter, but 1899 was the year that he decided to formally make undertaking as part of his business.

In the first year, the business carried out 18 funerals, half of which were for children, illustrating the high child mortality rate of the time. The total turnover for funerals in 1899 was 63 pounds and 16 shillings compared to today’s funeral costs.