Pidgeons, Cardiff's only remaining independent family controlled funeral directors are
celebrating their 80th anniversary in the year of the Millennium.

The early days
The company was established in Grangetown by James Pidgeon in 1920, initially as a private car hire firm, during which period they conveyed many celebrities of the times, including King George V (who gave a 10 shilling tip to his driver who happened to be James Pidgeon). Other customers included the American newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hurst, who owned St Donat's Castle, and Joseph Kennedy, father of President John F Kennedy. Pidgeons also supplied cars for wedding hire and charabangs (large open coach-type vehicles) for works outings, Whitsun treats etc..

Pidgeons owned the first motor hearse in Cardiff, which was hired out to undertaking businesses. It was decided by the family at that time that under- taking would be a natural extension to the hire business and during the early 30s Pidgeons conducted their first funeral service.

The founder, James Pidgeon, was born in Lyndhurst, St Canton, and prior to beginning the firm worked on the Taff Valley Railway. He married Kate Eliza Winslade, who was related to the Winslade pop manufacturers. His son, also named James, and his daughter, Nell, joined him in the business prior to the start of the second world war.

His son, James, served in the Merchant Navy as an Engineer Officer worldwide during the war with a brief pause to marry Violet Gale on 16th September 1940. Her father was a docks pilot and she worked at Coastliners.