Alternative Hearses for Charity
Provided for the Community & Funeral Homes of South Devon by
Reggie Kray Jnr
in return for a set donation to Torbay Bikers for Kids (Registered Charity No: 1200973)
Victorian Hand Bier
About this service and why I only require a set donation to charity for its use
I can provide a fully refurbished Victorian Hand Bier for funeral homes within the South Devon area.
Throughout the Georgian, Victorian & Edwardian eras hand biers of this type were pulled by the bearers when a family was unable to afford the more luxurious and expensive horse drawn hearses. These days hand biers of this type are mostly in museums or on display at funeral homes, but this one will be well suited for cemetery and woodland funerals.
The bier is made from cast iron with independent bow suspension for each of the iron spoke wheels that are fitted with solid rubber tyres. The deck is made of slatted wood and it has an iron steering arm with a wood handle at the front. The bier has been adapted to meet the requirements of the modern funeral home, but it will still be in keeping with its heritage. The deck has been lengthened to accept a coffin with a maximum 7' 2" exterior length to allow for the increase in the average person's height over the past one hundred and fifty years. The bier has small but heavy duty fixed castor wheels to aid with the loading and unloading process, and stops are fitted to prevent the coffin from moving as the bier is being wheeled. The wood has been stained in antique pine, and it even has a fitment so that a portable Bluetooth speaker can be placed underneath to play any chosen music. It will be transported using a purpose built trailer.
If an authentic Victorian themed funeral is required, I am able to provide undertaker's apparel of the era which was hand-made by a theatrical costumier for television and it includes a stove-pipe top hat, frock coat, Inverness cape and cane, all in black.
Like my alternative hearse services, I do not require any payment for myself for providing this service. Instead, I ask that a set charitable donation be made to Torbay Bikers for Kids (Registered Charity No: 1200973), which raises money to purchase essential items that will help improve the lives and/or education of children who are disabled or severely ill, living in Torbay and the surrounding area in South Devon. Hundreds of children have been helped by donations given.
The loading, or head end, of the bier folds down when the retainers are released