C Selby & Son Funeral Directors
Leytonstone
C Selby & Son Funeral Directors
Read some of the interesting tales of C Selby & Son Funeral Directors
Edward Selby, The Suffragettes and First World War
C Selby & Son Funeral Directors can be traced back to 1848, when Edward Selby ran an undertaking business from Tabernacle Walk in Shoreditch. There was also a premise just north of the City in Finsbury, then at several addresses in Bow and Bromley-by-Bow trading as Charles Selby.
In 1913, Selby’s Funeral Directors stood on the corner of Bow Road and Bromley High Street. During this time, Bow was a centre for Suffragette activists trying to raise awareness of the Votes for Women notion. One of their ways of doing this was by breaking shop windows, which not only happened to the Selby shopfront, but it was done by the famous Sylvia Pankhurst, the leader of the campaign. “I broke an undertaker’s window. I was seized by two Policemen”.
Three years later, more serious damage was done to Selby premises due to the First World War. A Zeppelin L33 aircraft dropped its payload of bombs on the Bow area, destroying the Black Swan pub across the road from the Selby’s, which was also left badly damaged.
Jack the Ripper and later years
In 1920, the funeral directors in Bow was up and running once again. It was this year that they conducted the funeral the man who found the body of Mary “Polly” Nichols, Jack the Ripper’s first victim. The man’s name was Charles Cross Allen Lechmere, also known as Charles Cross, which is the false name he gave to the police after finding Nichol’s body. Lechmere is thought to be one of the most likely suspects of the Ripper murders.
In 1967, Lawrence J Selby applied to what was then called the Poplar council for permission to turn J S Elkington & Sons Builders at 816/826 Old Ford Road into a
funeral directors. He required two offices, two chapels, an embalming room, a mortuary, workshop and a coffin store. These new premises would accommodate a funeral director, two workmen, three drivers and six vehicles. He also applied for an illuminated box sign reading ‘Selby Funeral Service’, which later came to be a local landmark.
The Selbys eventually ended settling on Bow Road in the 1990s, next to Tower Hamlets Registrar. Their funeral home was previously a bank, and prior to this, Bow Police station, which had opened in 1854.
Our locations
Leytonstone
729 High Road, Leytonstone, E11 4QS
Supporting you along the way
We understand that there is a lot to think about, so if you do need assistance with your loved one's funeral arrangements, our funeral experts will offer you all the support you need.
What to do when someone dies
It’s perfectly normal to be unsure of what you need to do following the death of a loved one. These step-by-step guides will carefully explain everything you need to when someone dies, helping you through each stage of the process.
Planning a funeral
Our guides on planning a funeral will ensure your loved one's send off is a personal and unique celebration of their life. We will explain how our Funeral Directors will help you plan a funeral service and support you at every stage.
The day of the funeral
This guide will explain what happens at a funeral; including the funeral procession, funeral service, committal service and the wake. We will be here to help you through every step of the journey.
Head Office
4 King Edwards Court,
King Edward Square,
Sutton Coldfield,
West Midlands, B73 6AP
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Calls are recorded for monitoring and quality purposes. All calls made to 0800 and 0808 numbers are free of charge whether made from a landline or mobile phone. Dignity Funerals Limited is a company registered in England No. 00041598. VAT registered No. 486 6081 14. Registered office: 4 King Edwards Court, King Edwards Square, Sutton Coldfield B73 6AP. Dignity Funerals Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under Firm Reference Number 967130. Please note that the selling and administering of funeral plans is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), however if you are purchasing a funeral without a funeral plan this will not be covered by FCA regulation.