Newman Brothers Coffin Furniture Factory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newman Brothers Coffin Furniture Factory |
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The Newman Brothers factory viewed from Fleet Street in 2008, prior to renovation
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| General information | |
| Type | Factory |
| Location | 13–15 Fleet Street, Birmingham, England |
| Coordinates | 52°28′55″N 1°54′27″W / 52.48194°N 1.90750°W |
| Construction started | 1892 |
| Completed | 1894 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Roger Harley |
| Awards and prizes | Grade II* listed |
Newman Brothers at The Coffin Works is a cool museum in Birmingham, England. It's inside the old Newman Brothers Coffin Furniture Factory building. This factory used to make special metal decorations and soft linings for coffins. It was open from 1894 to 1998. The museum teaches visitors about the factory's history and how people worked there. It opened in October 2014. It took 15 years for the Birmingham Conservation Trust to save the building and turn it into this amazing place. The building itself is very important, listed as Grade II*.
Contents
Factory History: Making Coffin Parts
The Newman Brothers company started in 1882. Two brothers, Alfred and Edwin Newman, first made things from brass. In 1894, they moved to a new factory on Fleet Street in Birmingham. This building was designed by Roger Harley in 1892.
When they moved, Newman Brothers changed what they made. They became a "Coffin Furniture Manufacturer." This meant they made brass parts for coffins. Making these parts was similar to their old work. Also, the funeral business offered more chances to make money.
"Coffin furniture" means many different things. It includes handles, crosses, nameplates, and other decorations. It also means "soft goods" like shrouds, special gowns, and coffin linings.
Edwin left the business in 1895. Alfred ran it alone until he died in 1933. His sons, George and Horace, took over. They ran the company until they passed away in 1944 and 1952. After Horace died, the Newman family no longer managed the factory directly. But Horace's sister, Nina, owned shares until 1980.
Other families, like the Doggarts and Whittingtons, then helped run the business. Joyce Green became the last owner of Newman Brothers. She joined the company as a secretary in 1949. She worked her way up and bought the company in 1989. She was the only owner until the factory closed in 1998.
Famous Funerals and Factory Success
For many years, the factory made some of the best coffin parts in the world. These were used in funerals for very important people. This included leaders like Sir Winston Churchill and Joseph Chamberlain. They were also used for royal family members. These included George V, George VI, the Queen Mother, and Princess Diana.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the company was very busy. About 100 people worked there. They sent their products all over the world. This included places like West Africa, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, the Caribbean, Canada, and Malta. The 1960s were a great time for the company. They earned more money and updated parts of the factory. An old building was replaced with a new two-story one. This new building had offices, electroplating areas, and storage.
Why the Factory Closed
The company's success did not last forever. By the 1970s, the business started to slow down. One big reason was that metal coffin parts became less popular. More people in the UK chose cremation. New rules in the 1960s often stopped the use of metal parts in cremations.
Also, plastic parts became very common. They were made using a process called injection moulding. Newman Brothers did make some plastic handles and decorations. But they usually wanted to make only the best quality metal items. They did not want to change their old ways of making things.
The company kept making high-quality brass coffin parts. But they did not update their methods much. In 1998, the company had to close. It was one of only three coffin furniture makers left in the UK at that time. The company officially closed the next year.
Saving the Factory: A Museum is Born
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After the factory closed in the 1990s, Joyce Green wanted to save it. She did not want the building to be torn down. She also wanted the factory's history to be remembered. In 2000, the factory was given a special status. It became a Grade II* listed building by English Heritage.
In 2001, the Birmingham Conservation Trust looked at the building. They worried it might be redeveloped and lost. So, they asked for help from Advantage West Midlands. This group bought the building in 2003. They agreed to help the Trust turn it into a useful place again.
In the same year, the factory was featured on a BBC TV show called Restoration. It was one of the places hoping to win money for repairs. It didn't win, but being on TV made more people interested. After the show, things slowed down for a while. There was uncertainty about money until 2005.
But in 2006, a grant of £1.5 million helped the project get back on track. The Birmingham Conservation Trust hired a team of experts in 2007.
In 2009, there was another problem. Advantage West Midlands lost its funding from the government. This meant they could not give more money to the project. But a grant from Birmingham City Council helped the Trust buy the building in 2010. The project costs had to be cut in half.
Even with these challenges, the project kept going. A new plan and an extra £1 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund helped. This allowed the Birmingham Conservation Trust to move forward with the restoration.
The restoration work happened between July 2013 and September 2014. It cost £3.4 million in total. Building companies and architects worked hard. They turned the old, partly ruined building into a museum and other spaces. They wanted to keep as many of the factory's original parts as possible.
The original 19th-century building was not changed. It was repaired, and the old roof was replaced with new Welsh slates. Plastic gutters were replaced with old-style cast iron ones. The modern sign was removed, and a Victorian-style sign was put up.
Three main rooms were restored for the museum. These included the "stamp room," where metal decorations were made. There was also the "shroud room," where coffin linings were sewn. And the warehouse, where goods were packed. The factory's 1960s offices were also restored. The impressive courtyard and gated entrance were also fixed up.
The museum opened to the public in October 2014. Joyce Green, who started the fight to save the factory, was involved until she passed away in 2009.
Newman Brothers Museum
The Newman Brothers Museum offers guided tours. Visitors can explore the restored factory. They learn about the company's history through the stories of the people who worked there. The building also has office spaces for small local businesses.
