An Elgin funeral director which has seen a £500,000 investment is now celebrating an anniversary milestone.
Independent funeral director William Purves, which provided the Queen’s hearse transport last year, is celebrating its 135th anniversary this month.
The business – now the largest such independent in Scotland – acquired Elgin-based W G Catto in 2003.
Family-owned William Purves has passed through five generations and has a team of more than 100 staff across 25 branches in Scotland and north-east England.
The company is part owners of crematoria and owns a stonemason workshop in the Borders. Several of the branches have been acquired by William Purves.
Elgin funeral director investment
W G Catto has had a major refurbishment worth half a million pounds and added a new purpose-built mortuary space.
Additional investment from the parent brand has seen the Elgin team expand to include two funeral directors, a funeral operator and trainee funeral director.
W G Catto branch manager Bob Proctor said: “W G Catto is proud to have been part of this quality brand for the last 20 years and to be celebrating William Purves’ 135th anniversary.
“W G Catto has served bereaved families in the Moray area for more than 100 years.
“The investment and resources from William Purves have allowed us to deliver support to bereaved families now and for many years to come.”
Tim Purves, who is a descendant of the founder, said the secret to the firm’s longevity was “modernising and adapting”.
He said: “For 135 years, William Purves has been (involved with) funeral innovation including the rise in cremation services, growing use of funeral tech and most recently, the hardship of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.
“It is a mark of the business’ success that we have modernised and adapted.
“Thank you to the many families who have placed your trust in William Purves and for allowing us to continue the legacy my great-great-grandfather started in 1888.”
Queen’s hearse controversy
William Purves has been involved in many high-profile funeral services, including that of Her Majesty.
It hit the headlines only last September, after it bowed to pressure to remove its logo from the hearse of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on its journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh.
William Purves cared for the Queen after her death and removed its logo from the Mercedes hearse after becoming “increasingly aware” of the attention it was attracting.
A statement at the time from company chairman, Tim Purves said: “We have never sought to gain any PR from our involvement with the Palace. For us it has been a true privilege to have cared for our Queen and her family.”
The company stressed there was no breach of formal protocol.
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