2 days Ago By [email protected] (Jenny Beake)
A permanent home has been found for an iconic hand drawn hearse that is more than a century old — and it might still be available for use as a result. Long Sutton and District Civic Society had appealed for bids to house the 106-year-old ornate funeral bier , built by Waltons, to save it from ‘cremation’ or being sold on eBay. A bid from Kevin and Carol Jacklin, owners of family-run Riverside Funeral Services in Sutton Bridge, was successful and the couple are thrilled that it will stay in the area.
Mrs Jacklin said: “We thought we could offer it a good home as the connection is quite strong. “My husband used to work for Waltons and I used to work at the doctors and knew Ray Walton whose dad made the carriage. “We didn’t think we stood much of a chance with collectors wanting it but we hoped the history was a strong link.
” The couple plans to put the beautifully made glass door wheeled carriage, made in 1918, in their Sutton Bridge office and to use it for its original purpose - after giving it a polish. Mrs Jacklin said: “If a family wants to use it for a funeral we can take it to St Matthew’s Church across the road as it is a hand drawn hearse. “It is beautiful and it will be nice for people to see it.
” Waltons, a significant employer in the area, manufactured vans and lorries. It also provided additional trades in brass, metal and woodwork. Some 13 enquiries were made from private collectors , funeral directors, a private museum and demonstrators before the list was whittled down to six and the final decision was in consultation with Long Sutton Parish Council.
Chairman John Clarey said: “It is very good news the bier is going to the Riverside Funeral Services and staying local. “It is good for it to be on display and the opportunity for it to be used for the purpose it was made for all those years ago. “It was made locally by coachbuilder Waltons and it is staying local.
” The hearse has had a number of temporary homes in recent years at an undertakers, St Mary’s Church and Lincolnshire Museum of Country Life who had it for twenty years up until 2016. Tim Machin from Long Sutton and District Civic Society said: “We were absolutely delighted with the response to the newspaper's story on our funeral bier. This brought initial contact with thirteen prospects, which after further discussion whittled down to six firm offers.
They included several funeral directors, a carriage collector and two museums. “We chose a local funeral home which has premises in both Sutton Bridge and Spalding where it will be on display to the public. “After over 40 years away from the Suttons in a museum or storage, this iconic piece of local craft, made by a Long Sutton carriage works in 1918, will be back where it can be seen.
” At one point the carriage, which is in relatively pristine condition, was stored in Heacham and has been kept around in garages but not used. A private collector in Rochester, Kent who has four hand drawn hearses in his collection already, had also shown an interest. Long Sutton could lay claim to being one of the area’s leading carriage and coach-building centres and, at one time, there were four wagon-works, Walton’s, Bingham’s, Scott’s and Curzon’s.
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