Our History
Hickton Family Funeral Directors (Trevor E.W. Hickton Ltd), formerly known as J.E.W. Hickton & Sons, is a long-established funeral directors, originally based solely in Cradley Heath.

In 1909 Joe Hickton, a well known carpenter, builder, undertaker, local counsellor and one-time Mayor of Rowley Regis, opened a dedicated funeral home located in Lower High Street, Cradley Heath in the Black Country to focus on the funeral directing side of the business. Along with his wife Rose, the local midwife, they became a large part of the local community, with the local saying being “she brings them into the world, and he takes them out!” Their son William ‘Bill’ Hickton came into the business in 1937 and the father and son partnership began carrying out funerals across Cradley Heath and the surrounding areas, with Bill eventually taking over sole control of the business in 1957 after Joe retired.
Bill’s son Trevor came into the business in 1971, working closely with his father to continue building the company reputation. Trevor took over T. Hadley & Co Funeral Directors in Blackheath in 1987 after a very longstanding friendship with the Hadley family. The two companies ran as ‘sister’ companies and then incorporated into Hicktons in the 2000s. In October 2016, the business division and funeral home of T. Hadley & Co Funeral Directors was sold to another funeral company, and is no longer associated or owned by Trevor E.W. Hickton Ltd or the Hickton family.

Trevor inherited J. E. W. Hickton Funeral Directors after his father Bill passed away in 2000. In 2005, the company was registered as a Limited UK company, along with a name change to what it is today, Trevor E.W. Hickton Ltd Funeral Directors.
Trevor’s son Ross came into the business in 2006 and is now working closely with his father in the day-to-day running of the business and conducting of the funerals in the long-established family business still located in Lower High Street. In late 2008, Hicktons bought Richard Hadley Funeral Services on Windmill Hill Halesowen, carrying on the established business to the same standards and code of practice as that of T. E. W. Hickton.
Trevor’s other son Greg joined the business in 2010 and works alongside Trevor and Ross within the company as a funeral director.

July 2013 saw the asset and goodwill purchase of a Birmingham funeral company, previously known as Care Funerals/A C Atwell Funeral Directors, after the death of their owner, Jordan. With the drive to forward their services and business to the Birmingham area, the three branches that the former company operated from were re branded and refurbished inside. The three funeral homes are located in Bartley Green, Castle Bromwich and Yardley. Birmingham had seen a lot of the old family-owned funeral companies sell to corporate entities over the past ten years, so the Hickton family are now well placed to ensure that the Birmingham area is still covered by a trusted, family-owned funeral directors.
The Yardley office was subsequently closed in March of 2014, and all pre-paid funerals and information regarding previous funerals was transferred to Castle Bromwich.
Trevor’s daughter Jodie joined the company in the spring of 2014 and is working alongside the rest of the family within the company, mainly based in the office at Cradley Heath assisting with funeral arrangements and managing the health and safety requirements of the business.
In October 2016, the business division and funeral home of T. Hadley & Co Funeral Directors based in High Street Blackheath was sold to another funeral company and is no longer associated or owned by Trevor E.W. Hickton Ltd or the Hickton family.
August 2017 saw a further expansion of the business, with the purchase of Edward John Funerals located on the Penn Road in Wolverhampton. Under the ownership of the Hickton family, it is run to the same high quality and standards as its sister branches in Cradley Heath, Halesowen and Birmingham. Once again, many of the old Wolverhampton family-owned funeral companies have sold to corporate entities. The Hickton family identified the need to ensure that Wolverhampton would still be served well by a family-owned and managed funeral directors, therefore they stepped in and purchased the business.
2021 saw great change come to the country with the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic. The company worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, supporting other local funeral businesses as well as putting their clients and families first. At this time, the company grew further; a new branch office was opened in Codsall near Wolverhampton and the Hickton family purchased Jones Memorials in Dudley.

A new property was acquired by the family on the Stourbridge Road in Halesowen. The property was fully renovated and opened in November to serve as their Halesowen branch office, with the one on Windmill Hill closing, covering the local area including the Sandwell and Dudley boroughs.
The year 2023 brought more change to the business, with a new funeral home branch location opened in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. This was following the acquisition of Keith W Boraston Funeral Directors after Keith took the decision to semi retire.
September 2024 saw change to the business as Trevor Hickton passed peacfully away after a long and private battle with cancer, however the business will carry on with his three children at the helm. His funeral saw over 300 people attend Rowley Regis Crematorium, along with a procession from the funeral home, up Cradley Heath High Street and then to the crematorium.