HISTORY
Funeral directors for five generations since 1869
My name is Oliver Scott and I run Oliver Scott & Family Funeral Directors at West Heath with my wife, Traci and our grown-up children. The Scott family have looked after funerals and cared for bereaved families in Birmingham for 150 years (1869-2019). Originally in Monument Road, Ladywood, Birmingham. In the late 1890's Scott's moved to premises on Dudley Road, Winson Green and were there until it was compulsory purchased for a road widening scheme in the mid 70's, which never materialized.
In 1901 my grandfather was born above the Dudley Road office and took pleasure in stating he was one of the last Victorians. Winson Green was, at the time, heavily populated back to back housing and it was most usual for coffins to be taken home to rest until the day of the funeral rather than repose at the undertaker's premises. Most undertakers at that time didn't have the facilities for incorporating a chapel at their premises, as it was at Dudley Road. The stabling originally at the rear of Dudley Road office had been given up for coffin making, timber stored in the stables and coffin making in the loft above, and our many horses had moved to Barford Road mews, half a mile away. In 1929, the year of my father's birth, Scott's bought the old Summerfield Laundry in Rotton Park Road, which they used for stabling and coffin making, coffins were made by Scotts up until the '70's when it became un-economical to make their own and they then relied on the commercially made coffins from dedicated coffin manufacturers. During the mid-20th century the use of undertaker's chapel facilities was becoming more widely available, possibly brought on by the onset of ‘high rise' living – 'Flats' and the difficulties they posed with coffins and staircases. Rotton Park Road served as Scott's Chapel facilities and garaging and the arranging office was soon to follow when the Dudley Road office was compulsory purchased. Scott's first motor hearse was bought in 1926 and was issued with the registration number ON 6, still used on a Scott's hearse today.
Along with the motor vehicles Scott's also kept and used their horses up to WWII. Another local firm had decided to keep horses, so Scott's horses went to them and motor vehicles were solely used from then on by Scott's. A more recent trend has seen the return of horse drawn hearses along with an extensive range of other vehicles, all of which are available on request. In 1962 I, like my grandfather, was born above the office, a branch office on Soho Road, Handsworth and in 1980 I started working for my father and grandfather along with my brother, Bill. Unfortunately, my grandfather died the following year, so I didn't get to work alongside him for very long and I gained my experience from my father. When my grandmother died 10 years later my brother and I became partners and when my father retired and moved to Trinidad in 1996 we became directors.
It was with great sadness that Scott's was sold in 2014.
Since then Traci and I looked for suitable premises to open and in 2017 we found the former Barclays Bank at West Heath, ideally suited as we have lived in Northfield for over 30 years. We gave the bank a new front and a modern interior as well as keeping some of the original bank features. Drop by if you're passing and have a chat, if you want to you could also pre-arrange your own funeral and relieve your loved ones of the quandary of your wishes.
Oliver Scott & Family are committed to serving the community with the same high quality service and reasonable prices as the Scott family has always provided.
If you have need of our services, please call anytime day or night. If you wish to have a chat about pre-arranged funeral arrangements or any other non-urgent matter, we will happily make time for you during our office hours.
