Our years of service will
serve you well

Alistair Turner established his own company in 2005 building on his own, and a long established family, legacy of serving Alnwick, Amble and Rothbury communities and earning their trust. 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 any 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. Today, our values of compassion, dedication, integrity and respect are at the heart of Alistair Turner as the team continue supporting bereaved families in Alnwick, Amble, Rothbury and surrounding areas. 

William Purves history

 

Helping you honour their life

As the final ritual of life, a funeral is our way of saying goodbye, honouring a life lived and a life loved. Funerals play an important role in our grieving process and often we can feel a huge responsibility to get it right. Which is why we start with the view that every funeral is unique and every funeral is special. In years to come we want you to look back without regret and take comfort from the way you laid your loved one to rest. We have been guiding and supporting families through bereavement for many generations. Let our family help your family by sharing with you the wealth of understanding and experience we have gathered over the years.