J.Gumbrill-entwined with local history
Written by: Annissa Cole
Published: 12th August 2026
Having been established in Horsham for so long, it’s fair to described J.Gumbrill as entwined with local history. In fact, the company, which celebrated its 120th anniversary recently, has connections throughout Sussex thanks to its founding family.
Back to the beginning
John Gumbrill, a local stonemason, started his eponymous business from premises in Nelson Road, Horsham, in the early 1900s. John had grown up in nearby Billingshurst and learnt his trade locally. Some of the projects that we know he worked on include the Roedean School building we still see on Brighton seafront today. During the late 1890s, the school’s founders, the Lawrence sisters, decided to move to larger premises. The building was designed by well-known Brighton architect, John W Simpson, in the arts and crafts style. It is now Grade 2 listed. Simpson designed many school buildings, and the original Wembley Stadium, over a career spanning nearly 60 years. The school project would have been a prestigious job and excellent place to learn for the young John Gumbrill. Work was completed and pupils moved in in 1898.
Closer to home, following the completion of Roedean, John worked on Holy Trinity Church, Rushams Road, Horsham. Other than the new entrance, which was added to the building in 1997, the building is very much as John would have recognised.
Trading through Sussex’s history
After time served on these large scale projects, John decided to start his own business and opened a workshop and yard at 12 Nelson Road, Horsham. The eponymous firm was well-known in the local area from distinctive adverts in the local press, of which we still have copies. The adverts promise ‘personal supervision’, showing John’s involvement in the everyday work of the firm. As well as new memorials, the business also offered additional inscriptions and renovation work- just as J.Gumbrill continues to today.
The Nelson Road premises became one of the first in Horsham to have a telephone number- Horsham 134. This was well-known by the local police, who would often ask to use John’s telephone. This was especially true during the war when lines of communication were scarce.
A family legacy
John worked in the business throughout his life, and when he died, he was buried in Hills Cemetery, Horsham. Unsurprisingly, his memorial is a distinctive one- a Cornish Granite cross which is still in situ near the cemetery chapel.
John’s son-in-law, Harold Snelling, was himself a third-generation stonemason. He took over the business from John. He kept the business name and continued in the same manner, giving his personal supervision to monumental masonry work for the local community. He lived and worked in Nelson Road until his death in 1975. Although there was no-one in the family to take over, this was only the end of this chapter in the company’s history.
Collaboration with Freeman Brothers
Freeman Brothers was another long-established Horsham firm, and the Freeman family knew J.Gumbrill well. The firm’s North Parade premises were literally a stone’s throw away from Nelson Road, and the two companies would have been used to liaising about customers’ memorials. As with today, when someone is buried in a plot with a memorial already installed, this needs to be removed for the new burial to occur. The removal of the memorial can be complex and needs to be done both efficiently and in a timely fashion. The funeral director has to trust the mason engaged to do everything properly so they can fulfil their commitment to the customer in respect of the burial. The trust between the two firms would have been strong, having built up over many years of working together.
It therefore made sense for the two firms to join, with the acquisition of J.Gumbrill by the Freeman family. This gave an important sense of continuity to existing J.Gumbrill customers, which is very important when the finished product is something so personal and long lasting. Customers purchasing a memorial for the first time could be reassured by both companies’ excellent reputations. For funeral clientele of Freeman Brothers, being able to see a team member in the same familiar setting, and have that element of handover, can also be beneficial.
Continuing together
Freeman Brothers and J.Gumbrill describe each other as ‘sister companies’. Both are based in Freeman Brothers’ Head Office, which is still in North Parade, Horsham, as it was when the company started in 1855 and when J.Gumbrill was acquired.
Most of the J.Gumbrill team are long-established within the companies and both the current proprietor, Peter Freeman, and his son, Wilf, have worked for J.Gumbrill in their careers in the company. Our letter cutting team of Paul and Rob have over 85 years’ experience in their craft, many of these with work for J.Gumbrill customers.
In 2025, J.Gumbrill underwent a rebrand with the beautiful new logo and website that you can see today. However, the same level of ‘personal supervision’ as offered by John and then Harold is still fully in evidence. If you would like to discuss a new memorial, renovation, or addition to an existing memorial, please do get in touch.
Thanks for your time, Annissa.
