History |
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Few companies have the history S.Wellens & Sons have, and even fewer family have spanned five generations.The following is an extract from the Oldham Poor-Law Union accounts of 1838:"July 28- Paid Samuel Wellens bill for coffin for James Nutts wife Jumbo, 14/-" (Jumbo is now Middleton Junction).This is the earliest reference to any Wellens being involved in the funeral profession. Samuel's nephew, Abraham, a former handloom silk weaver and woollen draper began undertaking in 1870. |
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Of course, there were no chapels of rest in those days. Abraham worked from his home in Assheton Street at the Top o' Middleton. Each of his three sons had a trade. David and Samuel were tailors. Joseph, a joiner, was able to make the coffins. |  |
| The business moved in 1891 to 54 Long Street and, on Abraham's retirement, was taken over by Samuel. Apart from conducting funerals, much of Sam's work was to make "mourning" - the dark clothes worn at funerals. Horse-drawn corteges were hired from R. H. Coop of Oldham and Hilton and Derbyshire of Mill Street, Middleton. |  |
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Billy Wellens, Sam's son, introduced motors into the firm when he joined his father in about 1920. Upon Sam's retirement, the tailoring side of the business came to a close. At this time, S. Wellens & Sons was one of seventeen undertaking businesses in a Middleton with half the population of today! Our account book of 1929 records that we conducted less than thirty funerals that year! |  |
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In 1950, Billy built Middleton's first chapel of rest within our Old Hall Street garage. Five years later our present premises were opened at 121 Long Street. Much happened in the 1950s: * Middleton’s
first Chapel of Rest was built within our Old Hall Street garage. |
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| During the 1960s, Joe Dyson, a Chadderton funeral director, planned to retire and asked Billy if he would take over the business. As a C.P.O. had been placed on our Harpurhey premises, it seemed sensible to do so in order to ensure continuity. |
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So
we took over Dyson’s Butler Green premises in 1964 and four years
later, Roberts and Stafford was duly demolished. |
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In 1974, we built new, self-contained premises for Dyson's in nearby Washbrook, at that time the most up-to-date funeral premises in Oldham. They were completely refurbished twenty six years later.When Norman’s son, Chris, joined the company in 1996, we decided to build additional premises in Hollinwood Avenue, New Moston. These were opened by the Lord Mayor in October of that year. |
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Our Middleton offices have been constantly updated, enlarged and refurbished. We must now have some of the most beautiful funeral premises in the country. And, of course, with over 130 years’ experience in the funeral profession spanning five generations, we are second to none.
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