This is an invoice from ‘Parts Patent Shroud and Frilling Company’ to Newman Brothers Ltd for wages and travel expenses. Newman Brothers bought shrouds and frillings from the company at it seems that they also worked in partnership with each other. The invoice is for wages paid on Newman Brothers’ behalf, as well as travelling expenses for Mr Kellett, who was a director and commercial salesman at Newman Brothers.
John Part became a shareholder at Newman Brothers on Horace Newman’s death in 1952, and he was also chairman of Newman Brothers in 1954. Seeing as Newman Brothers closed down their Shroud Room in 1941, it would appear that they teamed up with ‘Parts Patent Shroud and Frilling Company’, working in collaboration with them to continue to supply ‘soft goods’, albeit not made at Newman Brothers, but presumably packaged and sold as their goods.
‘Parts Patent Shroud and Frilling Company’ was located on Tilligham Street in Sparkbrook, Birmingham where John Part was a managing director. The other directors were his mother and his two sisters.
In 1957 Parts Patent Shroud and Frilling Company went into voluntary liquidation having a deficit of £19,214. John Part formed a new company called ‘John Part & Co. Ltd’. Newman Brothers had been buying shrouds, frillings and other materials from John Part before he started John Part & Co. Ltd.This new endeavour was a funeral furnishing company based at Newman Brothers between 1954 and 1956. They rented a workshop at the manufactory during this period and specialised in selling coffins. By working directly with another company who specialised in other products Newman Brothers attempting to expand their product range. John Part & Co. Ltd ceased trading in 1956.
Between 1947 and 1957, John Part received a total of £24,947 in salary, directors’ fees and commission.
This is what we believe to be the case at present, but we welcome any additional information to help us update our records.
