An introduction to J. Gumbrill
Written by: Annissa
Published: 1st September 2025
Hi, and thank you for visiting J.Gumbrill’s website. My name is Annissa, I’m J.Gumbrill’s Memorial Administrator and will be the main point of contact for most of our customers as I help you choose a memorial and work through the whole process until it’s installed. I thought I would take a moment to introduce myself and the team, and tell you a bit about the company.
I’ve worked for J.Gumbrill since 2017. I started on a temporary contract to cover for the permanent Administrator when she went on maternity leave, but at the end of her time off she took a different role with our sister company, Freeman Brothers, and I’ve been here ever since! I love my role, helping people to create a lasting memorial for a loved one is really rewarding and the results can be amazing. I have lots of favourite memorials that we have worked on but every one is one of a kind.
Of course, the administration is only one part of the process, and I work with a great team. Richard, our senior Monumental Mason, has worked for the company for over 15 years and is an expert in fixing stones in the safest and most secure ways, as well as carrying out amazing renovation work. He is often assisted by Daniel, who (like Richard) is a Registered Qualified Memorial Fixer, assessed by our trade body the National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) to be working to British Standard BS8415. Richard’s dog, Marley, is also a vital part of the team, boosting morale out and about as he travels with Richard.
All our stone carving, whether that be letter cutting or decorative carvings, is done by our team of Rob Jolly and Paul Binstead. They are both massively talented craftsmen who have years of experience and have worked in Cathedrals, Universities and Historic Royal Palaces. I love being able to give our customers that level of expertise.
I’m helped on the admin side by Wilf Freeman and Abi Pattenden, who both mostly work for Freeman Brothers but have the knowledge they need to help you. Abi also manages J.Gumbrill on behalf of the Freeman family who have owned the business for many years. Before this, the company was owned and operated by the Gumbrill family and their descendants, having been started by John Gumbrill in the early 1900s and being based in Nelson Road, Horsham. The close relationship between the two companies meant that the acquisition by the Freemans seemed a natural fit once there was no one in the Gumbrill family who wished to continue, and it means a continuity of service for customers of the two companies.
The Work
As I write this, J.Gumbrill is about 120 years old, and I find it amazing to work for a company with so much history. You can see our work in so many local cemeteries and churchyards, and although these days we go far further afield, covering a large area of Sussex, Surrey, Brighton and Hove, and London, I feel we are integral to our local communities and the way they remember their loved ones. This is even more the case because of some of the projects we have worked on- carrying out restoration work on War Memorials and churchyards, and creating public memorials such as plaques to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Queen’s Canopy, and King Charles III’s coronation.
If you would like to discuss your needs for a memorial then please do contact us and I will be happy to help you.
Thanks for your time, Annissa.
