21/09/2026
A lovely write up from T. Allen Funeral Service.
Our families have been supporting each other in business for decades!
Our goal has always been the same — to build lasting relationships, provide an exceptional service, and be here for the long term.
Today, James had the privilege of assisting Tom Wiles from Kent Carriage Masters with a funeral in Rainham.
We regularly help Kent Carriage Masters when they need an extra pair of hands, and in turn we are always happy to use their services when we need them. Within the independent funeral profession, we are fortunate to have good working relationships with other family-run businesses, and it’s something we value greatly.
There is also a long history between the Allen and Wiles families.
Tom’s great uncle, Bill Hogben, was the fifth generation of his family to work at Hogben’s in Sheerness and was the last funeral director at the company before it was sold to what is now the Dignity Group.
Bill was also known to the Allen family. Terry Allen carried out Hogben's embalming, and James remembers visiting the Hogben’s premises in the 1990s while assisting his dad, Terry, with repatriation services for Hogben’s.
Today, the Wiles family continue that connection with the funeral profession, operating Kent Carriage Master from those same premises.
Even their vehicles carry a little piece of that family history, with “BIL” appearing on their number plates as a lasting memory of Bill Hogben.
It’s lovely to see that connection between our two families continuing after all these years — working alongside each other, helping one another and supporting fellow independent businesses within our profession.
Today was another small part of a working relationship that has been built over generations. 🤍
