About Us
Family Run Business since 1869
Arthur Worsley Funeral Services Ltd, an established and highly respected family-run business based in the beautiful countryside of the High Peak in Hadfield, Glossop, has been established for over 150 years.
Valued Work
† pride in what we do
Henry Worsley started the Hadfield business as a furniture maker in 1869, the firm has since passed through five generations. Over that time, the company has seen a happy progression developing into the established business it is today.
Now overseen by Jason, his wife Julie and their son Sam, who is the next genration of Arthur Worsley’s, inline to take over the business in the coming years.
Arthur Worsley Funeral Services continues to provide the Glossopdale and extended surrounding areas with this vital service in their own caring and efficient way, helping the bereaved through the most difficult of times.
Your Reviews
† words that matter to us
“I want to thank Sam and everyone at Arthur Worsley’s for the help and advice they gave us as a family. But more importantly they gave my dad, the respect, dignity and care he deserved. I will be forever grateful for that. Thank you.”
"I would like to thank Arthur Worsley Funeral Services from the bottom of my heart. Sam and the team went above and beyond to help make such a difficult experience as simple and clear as it could be.
Sam was kind, informative and supportive throughout and nothing was too much trouble to ensure that everything ran as smoothly as possible."
“The most sensitive and caring people at such a difficult time, thank you so much to you all for looking after my beautiful Grandma.”
“Today we laid my nans ashes, and I would like to say thank you to Sam and everyone at Arthur Worsley’s, your compassion and respect was incredible. You made a terrible time that bit easier for my family and me.”
“Thank you so much for everything you have done. You went above and beyond and made my family to feel at ease. Thank you for looking after my brother.”
“Sam and his team were so kind, thoughtful and considerate when my mum Doreen passed away, even though my mums funeral was a simple family affair, nothing was too much trouble from start to finish. Sam did all the running around for us, even collecting the floral tributes. I will be forever grateful. Thankyou.”
“To Martin and all the team at Arthur Worsley's: we cannot thank you enough for all your care, compassion, help and understanding during one of the most difficult times in our lives.
You are and always will be like family to us, you treated us with so much kindness that every part of this journey became easier with your support. I'm so glad my mother chose Arthur Worsley funeral service, no one else could have taken care of her like you did.”
“I cannot thank you enough for the beautiful funeral for my mum Iris. You took the burden for all the preparation and gave me comfort during my sad time. Jason and all the staff made our family proud. The cars were spotless and the whole sad event went very smoothly. Thank you.”
“Thank you so much for the care and dignity given to my dad, Denis and his beloved wife Helen recently. A very difficult time for our family, your support and professionalism has been very much appreciated.”
“I am very pleased with Arthur Worsley today, who were very helpful and flexible to the fact that we hadn’t quite fully organised everything! I am grateful for their support and that we now have a little extra time to pull everything together. Thanks much appreciated.”
Our History
† a short story
Henry Worsley started his business in 1869 when, at the time, he was also selling household furniture, wringing machines and hardware. The enterprising salesman toured the neighbouring villages with a wheelbarrow and some of the local households still have chairs bearing his label.
In 1882 he built the property where part of the present-day business is still carried out. It consisted of a row of terraced houses, one of which was the shop where he sold lamps, lamp oil and fittings. On the outside wall by the shop door a notice in the shape of a fishtail coffin advertised his wares and funeral arrangements. He later had a pony and trap to transport his wares and was reportedly seen pushing coffins around the village. He could claim to have instigated hire purchase locally, because customers were handing him a shilling week to pay off their bills. Records show that the early funerals included orders for wine, boxes of biscuits and tobacco for use after the burial.
Henry had four daughters and a son, Arthur, who carried on his father’s business. Arthur was also a joiner and made ecclesiastical furniture for the local churches and convents. He died in 1948, his wife having predeceased him leaving two sons and a daughter. The younger of the two, Fred, carried on the business while the elder son went to work for Middleton’s Funeral Directors of Gorton, Manchester.
During the Second World War Fred was allocated to the Auxiliary and then the National Fire Service, which allowed him to continue funeral business. He and his wife Alice had a daughter and a son, Arthur who on leaving school went into the business with his father.
When Fred became ill Arthur took on more of the responsibility of running the business and became a partner. The business prospered due to the new housing built in the area. When Fred died in 1975 Arthur continued and built up the trade which, by now, had spread to the outlying villages and the nearby town of Glossop.
By the early 1990s Arthur’s stepson, Jason, had joined the business. They worked well together and changed the format. A new Chapel of Rest was built, new offices were set up, and the firm became a limited company.
In 2001 Julie joined as a funeral director, which proved fruitful in more ways than one. In 2004 Jason and Julie married and took over the everyday running of the Company when Arthur and his wife Brenda went into semi-retirement spending time at their home in Spain. Arthur sadly passed away in 2010 following a brief illness.
It has been a happy progression over the years which has seen the company develop from days of handcarts and horse-drawn hearses to modern six door-limousines (although there are still requests for horse-drawn funerals), the business continues to flourish with Jason, Julie and Sam building on the excellent reputation built within the local area.
