Our History

Founded in 1880, L.E.Brand & Sons have been serving the community of Thurrock since 1880. We are the oldest independent Funeral Director in the area and since the company was established we have had five generations of family serve the local community.

The family business of LE Brand has still has business accounts, photographs, and letters at our property in Stanford-le-Hope – some dating back to 1867.

Horses were the main means of transport at the time and Lewis Edward Brand used to make coffins for the undertakers in the area. Consequently he set up his business as local undertaker and the family business is still very strong. It was not long before the business had grown sufficiently and Lewis moved the business to a position in Victoria Road, Stanford-le-Hope at the junction with Southend Road, where The Pet Shop now stands.

The photograph shows a funeral arranged by Edward Brand for Police Sergeant Woods, who was the village police officer at one time. It shows Edward Brand leading and conducting the funeral procession from 23 Wharf Road, followed by police officers carrying the wreaths flanked by a senior police officer, and finally the coffin bearing party of police officers, carrying the coffin on a funeral bier. Brand’s workshop can be seen in the background.

See the photo of E.J. Brand conducting the funeral of Sergeant Wood from 23 Wharf Road (corner of Salisbury Avenue). When he had a number of funerals to arrange Edward would hire extra hearses and horses from various sources. One such source was Mr Hawkins, the owner of Hadfield Stores who ran a milk round. He also owned a hearse which he kept behind his dairy in King Street. Edward used to hire this hearse and the horses which normally pulled the milk float. The business changed from horse drawn carriages to motorised ones as soon as motorised vehicles started to come into vogue.