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Formerly Alistair Turner Funeral Directors

Alistair Turner established his own company in 2005 building on a long-established family legacy of serving the Alnwick, Amble and Rothbury communities.

The family business starts with David Cockburn in 1922, a joiner and cabinet-maker which included the manufacture of coffins for customers as part of this service. Like many joiners during the 20th Century, this provision gradually extended to arranging the whole funeral.

On leaving school, David’s nephew George joined the family business and developed a reputation as being the ‘Alnwick Undertaker’, providing care for families right up to his own death in 1992. Alistair Turner is George’s nephew and he took over the family business immediately.

By 1996, and responding to the needs of local families, Alistair commissioned purpose built premises at Greensfield Park in Alnwick.

In 2005, Alistair decided to rebrand the business to Alistair Turner and a year later, acquired two new offices in Amble and Rothbury. Retirement beckoning, Alistair sought out another family business with ethics and experience to take on the legacy of his own. William Purves, with its five generations and reputation for premier funeral services, was a natural fit.

Formerly Gary Staker Funeral Directors

Gary Staker established his own company in 2007 building on his 25-year track record of serving Tyneside communities as their local funeral director and earning their trust.

Aged only 19, Gary stumbled into funeral service provision accidentally, having applied to be a driver at a local independent funeral director. He quickly realised a passion for caring and supporting families who were facing loss and bereavement. This was the start of a 17-year long period with a major chain during which he worked up to branch manager for a number of sites.

In 2007, Gary set up his first branch in Monkseaton, joined swiftly by Janet Smith who between them, were offering families a combined 50 years experience of funeral support. Business grew steadily and by 2014, Gary had set up his second branch in Shiremoor and the team of four full time funeral staff were well established.

In 2018, Gary sought out another family business with ethics and experience to take on the legacy of his own. William Purves, with its five generations and reputation for premier funeral services was a natural fit. Today our values of compassion, dedication, integrity and respect are at the heart of Gary Staker as the team continue providing first class support to bereaved families in the North Tyneside area.

Formerly Jacob Conroy & Son

Jacob Conroy & Son has been an established Morpeth based funeral director for over 40 years, serving the local community and earning its trust. Jacob set up his own business in the mid 1970s operating out of the old church hall in Pegswood. He developed a reputation for high standards of personal care to bereaved families and grew a very loyal customer base as a result.

In 1989, the move to a modern, purpose built funeral home in the Oldgate, Morpeth, demonstrated his commitment to local people. His sons, Peter and Mark, joined their father in the business as it continued to expand with a new office opening in Bedlington in 1994. Two years later, further expansion prompted a move to the former Liberal Party and National Union of Miners headquarters in Guidepost.

Approaching retirement in 2007, Jacob sought out William Purves, another family business with ethics and experience to take on and uphold his fine legacy.

Peter Grenfell

Peter Grenfell established his own company in 2004 building on a long established family legacy of serving Ashington and Bedlington communities and earning their trust. Peter’s grandfather Tom was the first of the family to work as a coachbuilder and undertaker in the 1950s.

Two decades later, Tom’s son John, along with his son (and Tom’s grandson) Bob, acquired D Davis’ funeral home in Bedlington. During the early 1970s, Peter Grenfell, also Tom’s grandson, joined the family business and together they developed a reputation for care and compassion. In 2004, Peter set up his own business, Peter Grenfell having acquired Westfield House in Ashington.

Approaching retirement in 2008, Peter sought out another family business with ethics and experience to take on the legacy of his own. William Purves, with its five generations and reputation for premier funeral services, was a natural fit. Today, our values of compassion, dedication, integrity and respect are at the heart of Peter Grenfell as the team continue supporting bereaved families in Ashington, Bedlington and surrounding areas.

Tom Woodhouse

Tom Woodhouse has been an established Blyth based funeral director for many years, serving the local community and earning its trust. Having worked as a funeral director for over 20 years, Tom set up his own business providing first class services from his first funeral home in Park Road.

In 2014, Tom sought out another family business with ethics and experience to take on the legacy of his own. William Purves, with its five generations and reputation for premier funeral services, was a natural fit.

Today our values of compassion, dedication, integrity and respect are at the heart of Tom Woodhouse as the team continue providing first class support to bereaved families in Blyth and the surrounding area.

W.G. Catto has been an established Moray based, family run, funeral director for over 120 years. Originally listed as joiner, upholsterer and cabinetmaker, the family manufactured coffins for customers as part of their service. Like many joiners during the early 20th Century, this provision gradually extended to arranging the whole funeral.

During this time, two generations of family members and other employees trained in the company and grew to set up their own joinery, upholsterer and undertaking businesses, even a baker, some of which are still in existence throughout the Morayshire region.

Over time, the focus shifted to full time funeral directing and the Catto family continued to run the business until the death of Willie Catto in 1980.

His widow Moira sold the business to Forres based undertaker and joiner, Sandy Smith a year later and it was loosely renamed to Smith & Catto. In 1983, current branch manager, Doug Kirk, joined the team in Forres and Elgin having worked as an engineer and lab technician.

In 2003, Sandy sought out another family business with ethics and experience to take on the legacy of his own. William Purves, with its five generations and reputation for premier funeral services, was a natural fit.

Eric Massie

In 1965, Eric founded the business by building on his experience as a joiner and cabinet-maker which included the provision of coffins for customers as part of his service. By the early 1990s, the focus shifted from joinery to full time funeral directing and in 1995, Eric’s son Alan joins the team along with current manager, Ian Thomson. The two-generation family owner-managers continue to build the business and Alan eventually succeeds Eric.

While planning his retirement in 2016, Alan seeked out another family business with ethics and experience to take on the legacy of his own. William Purves, with its five generations and reputation for premier funeral services, was a natural fit.

In the summer of 2018, William Purves opened the St Andrews branch having appointed Syd Stevenson to lead funerals for St Andrews families. Born and bred in almost the same postcode, Syd had been serving families for many decades at their time of need. The opportunity to do so with the support of a company rooted in values of compassion, dedication, integrity and respect has allowed us to continue delivering the highest standards of care to Fife families.

Syd was joined by Amanda Mainland in 2024 as a long-term handover as he prepared for a long-deserved retirement. Our investment in offering a high quality service room, first class care and arranging facilities, and the support of a company with five generations of funeral experience, has allowed us to support more families in the town and surrounding areas.

William Purves was supporting many EH4 families and those from surrounding areas. When the opportunity came to open a branch on Whitehouse Road, it affirmed our position as the funeral director of choice for families in Barnton, Davidson’s Mains, Cramond, Silverknowes, Cammo, Ravelston, Blackhall and Murrayfield. Offering a high quality space to arrange funerals, and say goodbye to a loved one, the branch is a convenient place for families to meet and discuss funeral plans needed now, or at a future date.

Having served coastal families in East Lothian from our Haddington branch, we leapt at the opportunity to open our North Berwick branch on the town’s High Street. With first class arranging facilities, families have a convenient location to meet or make arrangements with us and celebrants, to drop off clothing or collect ashes. Our team are locally based, and committed members of the local Rotary contributing meaningfully to to events focused on grief support and tackling loneliness.

William Purves moved to Oakvale on Whitehouse Loan in 1994, and following a refit from residential home, launched it a year later as their head office. Formerly a church office, school and private home, the Victorian villa has been extended several times to ensure it offers the highest quality space for families to arrange funerals, say goodbye to loved ones, and celebrate in a large service room. Oakvale serves as the main mortuary for Edinburgh and Lothian and is the base of the company’s business operations and professional teams. The building is open to visit during the annual Doors Open Day events in Autumn and we regularly play host to medic, stakeholder and funeral sector training events.

David Hardie & Son

David Hardie & Son has been an established Galashiels based funeral director for many years, serving the local community and earning its trust. In 1960, David Hardie started trading from Douglas Place, Galashiels, providing joinery and cabinet-making services including the manufacture of coffins for customers as part of his service. Like many joiners during the early 20th Century, this provision gradually extended to arranging the whole funeral.

Over time David invests in new facilities and moves to customised premises at High Buckholmside. Over a decade later, he is joined by his son, also David, and the company is rebranded to reflect this. Business continues to grow steadily and in 2004, David (jnr) sought out another family business with ethics and experience to take on the legacy of his own. William Purves, with its five generations and reputation for premier funeral services, was a natural fit.

In 2009, David Hardie & Son moved to the old Ladhope Church Hall, transforming it into a beautifully refurbished funeral home including a chapel for up to 80 people. Today our values of compassion, dedication, integrity and respect are at the heart of David Hardie & Son as the locally based team continue providing first class support to bereaved families in Galashiels and the surrounding area.

John Beattie and Sons is a typical Borders business, rooted in Hawick and serving the local Roxburghshire population. Founder John Beattie started out as a joiner, manufacturing coffins from premises in Langholm in the late 1700s. By 1806, the business had become more specialised and he moved to Bourtree Terrace in Hawick where it was branded Joiner/Undertaker. The business was passed to his son and several generations later, Scottish Rugby Internationalist Jock Beattie took the helm in 1960. At this time, “Sons” was formally introduced as Jock successfully ran the business with his sons, Rob and John, until Jock’s death in 1978.

In 1990, Rob and John took the decision to cease the joinery element of the business and become dedicated funeral directors. This prompted a move to the current premises on Weensland Road. After John’s death in 1999, Rob continued to run the company until his own retirement in June 2009.

Rob Beattie sought out another family business with Borders roots, ethics and experience to take on the legacy of his family business. William Purves Funeral Directors, with its five generations and reputation for premier funeral services, was a natural fit and took over the business in 2011. The values of compassion, dedication, integrity and respect are at the heart of John Beattie & Sons as the team continue supporting bereaved families in Hawick and the surrounding area today.

Oliver & Sons has been an established Jedburgh-based, family-run funeral director for over 150 years. Originally listed as joiner, upholsterer and cabinet-maker, Alexander Oliver ran the business from No. 3 Queen Street, Jedburgh. The family manufactured coffins for customers as part of their service. Like many joiners during the early 20th century, this provision gradually extended to arranging the whole funeral.

Alexander was succeeded by his son Adam and then by his grandson, also Adam. In the 1960s, great-grandsons Harvey and Sandy Oliver took over the day-to-day running of the family firm. The business steadily grew, with the emphasis on funeral directing taking over from joinery, prompting a move from the original workshop to the Pleasance in the early 1970s. Harvey’s son John became the fifth generation of the Oliver family to join the business in the late 1990s.

Twenty years later, John sought out another family business with ethics and experience to take on the legacy of his own. William Purves, with its five generations and reputation for premier funeral services, was a natural fit and acquired the business in 2013.

In 2014, Oliver & Sons set up a new purpose-built funeral director in the Bongate.

Today, the values of compassion, dedication, integrity and respect are at the heart of Oliver & Sons as the four-strong team continue providing first-class support for bereaved families in Jedburgh and the surrounding area.

Sitting between the Edinburgh market and Borders branches that were acquired during the late 1990s, Peebles was an obvious place to open a legacy William Purves branch in …..

Founder Robert Samson was a joiner by trade and set up the company in 1913. As was common around this time, he made coffins and as an extension to this, conducted funerals for his customers. Robert’s son George joined the business and they expanded the joinery base to provide housebuilding, caravan construction, tree surgery as well as coffin manufacture. George eventually succeeded his father as owner manager. Following George’s death in 1962, his own son, also Robert (Bob) and a masterjoiner, and wife Sheila, took over the reins. In 1965, they acquire James L Wallace in Dundee and a decade later, closed the joinery side of his business to focus solely on funerals. Nine years later in 1984, their son David, joined the company and in 2000 took over as Managing Director for the next 16 years. In 2015, David sought out another family business with ethics and experience to take on the legacy of his own. William Purves, with its five generations and reputation for premier funeral services, was a natural fit.

Today our values of compassion, dedication, integrity and respect are at the heart of Robert Samson and James L Wallace. The five-strong team continue supporting bereaved families in Broughty Ferry and the wider Dundee area and earning their trust.