SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: For a century and a half, one of Croydon’s best-known firms has been funeral directors J B Shakespeare.
DAVID MORGAN delves into the Minster archives and sees the writing on the wall for that family’s musical role in the church’s community
Roll of honour: the listing of the Minster’s organists down the years
The organists’ honours board in Croydon Minster lists those who have held the post of organist for the Parish Church, as was, and later the Minster over the last 150 years (although there are one or two early omissions). Edward Shakespeare was organist and choirmaster from 1948 until 1952, known as a very proficient musician and teacher.
He was also a member of the well-known Croydon family of undertakers and funeral directors.
Taking the job as Parish Church organist must have felt like a home from home for Shakespeare after a lifetime of association with the building. Born in 1890, he was christened Edward John Shakespeare in the church, and was married there in 1915 to Elsie Read, a Waddon girl.
At the time of his wedding, Shakespeare was organist of All Saints Church, Finchley Road, St John’s Wood.
When he and Elsie brought their daughter Pauline to be christened in 1916, the couple were living at 59 Bingham Road. He gave his occupation as “Music Professor”.
Opera singer: Edward Shakespeare’s uncle William was a prominent 19th Century opera singer
How he developed an interest and skill in music is not known with any certainty, but his uncle, William Shakespeare, appeared to be influential in young Edward’s life. This was not The Bard of Stratford, of course, but another of the Croydon Shakespeare dynasty. He was both an inspiration and a mentor for Edward.
Croydon’s William Shakespeare had a high-quality tenor voice, singing in operas and concert recitals across Europe. He was a student in Leipzig before going on to study singing with Francesco Lamperti, a famous Italian music teacher.
Might William Shakespeare have ever sung in Verdi’s 1847 opera, Macbeth?
William Shakespeare returned to London in 1878, when he became professor of singing at the Royal Academy of Music. He was living in Hamilton Terrace in St John’s Wood when his nephew was appointed as the organist at All Saints, his local parish church.
It was William’s brother, James Benjamin Shakespeare, Edward’s father, who founded the Croydon undertakers’ undertaking in 1877. Hence JB Shakespeare, as the firm is known to this day, almost 150 years later.
Initially, the funeral directors were based in Scarbrook Road. With only one lad helping him, James Shakespeare’s carpentry skills and business acumen enabled the enterprise to flourish. He moved the firm to 67 George Street in 1889, when this became the family home, too. Shakespeares remained at that site until 2018.
Home sweet home: JBShakespeare’s George Street office closed in 2018
A photo from the 1890s on the JB Shakespeare Funeral Directors website showed the Shakespeare family in their back garden at George Street. James is pictured with his first wife, Ann, and six children.
Their eldest, who was also named William, joined the family business in 1891 after he left school, as did Ernest, the second brother. Our organist, Edward, would be recruited in due course.
The Shakespeares suffered tragedy in World War I. Edward’s younger brother, Frederick Edridge Shakespeare, who went to school at Whitgift, was killed on March 26 1918, He was 26. Enlisting in August 1914, he was sent to France in June 1915 as a private in the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. He was wounded in 1916.
He went missing during the First Battle of Arras. His name was etched on to the Memorial to the Missing in Arras. The family had a memorial headstone erected at the Faubourg D’Amiens Cemetery as well as one here in Queens Road Cemetery. His name does not appear on the World War I Roll of Honour in Croydon Minster.
Edward Shakespeare’s own role in World War I is unclear. His attestation papers are difficult to read because of damage. Words which could be deciphered were “short service, with the colours and the army reserve”. His address was still given as Bingham Road and his occupation was “partner in undertaker business and music professor”.
After the war, extra income for Shakespeare came from giving private tuition. He placed advertisements in the local papers in the 1920s and ’30s to attract pupils for singing or piano lessons. His address was given as South View, Addiscombe Road, two minutes from East Croydon Station.
Happy families: JB Shakespeare and his wife, Ann, with six children, taken in the 1890s
Edward Shakespeare gave music recitals or took part in concerts in Croydon throughout his adult life. In 1921, at a charity concert held to raise money for war orphans, he opened the event with a piano solo.
He was a regular soloist with the Croydon Philharmonic Society from 1928 right through to 1951.
Big gig: Edward Shakespeare was a headline act when the London Symphony Orchestra played Croydon in 1930
In April 1949, by now approaching his 60s, Edward gave an organ recital in the church, where there was a silver collection in aid of the organ fund.
When the Croydon Festival was held after World War II, Shakespeare was part of some ambitious music-making programmes. In August 1951, playing the church organ, he and the string section of the Croydon Symphony Orchestra put together a programme of music just for organ and strings.
Boyce’s Symphony, Bach’s Suite in C and Handel’s Organ Concerto No2 were performed.
The review in The Stage was much kinder about Shakespeare’s playing in the Handel Concerto than it was about the rest of the pieces, stating that it was difficult to fully coordinate the two sounds of the organ and the strings in such a building.
Edward played the organ at Croydon Parish Church for the Masonic services which were held there.
“A packed church with hundreds of brethren were entertained by Bro Shakespeare with an organ recital before the service,” read one account in August 1938, indicating that Shakespeare was a Masonic member.
Private lessons: as many musicians of the time did, Edward Shakespeare supplemented his income from teaching. ‘Two minutes’ from the station
When Shakespeare took over the role of organist at Croydon Parish Church, he was replacing H Leslie Smith: “Leslie” to those who knew him and “Hoppy” as nicknamed by the choristers. Smith, who was a stickler for discipline, was something of an institution at the Parish Church, having held the post since 1918, and cementing the church’s place in the early history of the BBC’s religious broadcasting with choral services beamed into homes across Britain and around the world.
Shakespeare held the church organist’s job for just four years. In March 1952, he suffered a heart attack at his home in Addiscombe Road and was ordered by his doctors to rest for six months. A newspaper report, written during the week following his collapse, stated that he was progressing satisfactorily.
At the annual parochial church meeting which was held at the end of April 1952, the Venerable CF Tonks, the Vicar of Croydon, gave a disappointing update to the assembled parishioners. Shakespeare’s doctor had not only told him to have a period of prolonged rest because of his heart trouble, but he was “not to undertake any severe duties in the future”.
The medical advice prompted Shakespeare’s resignation. Until an interview process could be arranged to find a permanent replacement, Mr JA Rogans, the deputy organist, took over his duties.
Shakespeare lived for another nine years, dying, aged 72, in 1962. His death was registered in Woking.
A time past: the clock that stood outside Shakespeares’ on George Street until 2018
His musical legacy lived on in Croydon for many years. The Croydon Music Festival, which often held events at Whitgift School or in Croydon Parish Church, had a vocal class award named after him. The Edward Shakespeare Shield was awarded for the best light operatic performance. Now called The Croydon Performing Arts Festival, with the finals held at Royal Russell School, the Shakespeare Shield does not appear on the current list of prizes.
Throughout most of his life, Edward Shakespeare juggled his music career with his involvement in the family undertaking business, which became a private limited company from 1931.
In the 1939 Census, Edward was listed as a funeral director living in Addiscombe Road, but with no mention of music.
His brother William died in 1942 and left his estate and effects to his wife, his son and to Edward in his will. Both his son and Edward were described as directors of the business in the paperwork.
Edward became Shakespeares’ manager and company secretary during World War II and carried on in this role until his nephew, Douglas, took over as chairman in the early 1960s.
Edward Shakespeare’s lifetime of service to the undertaking business and to his music-making was appreciated by a huge number of people.
David Morgan, pictured right, is a former Croydon headteacher, now the volunteer education officer at Croydon Minster who offers tours or illustrated talks on the history around the Minster for local community groups
If you would like a group tour of Croydon Minster or want to book a school visit, then ring the Minster Office on 020 688 8104 or go to the website on www.croydonminster.org and use the contact page
Some previous articles by David Morgan:
- When ‘Rinkomania’ skated up Park Lane to delight Croydon
- George Street family business that put Croydon in the picture
- The church fire that consumed a thousand years of history
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