History

E.T. Birtwistle & Sons ltd.

The first Birtwistle in Great Harwood was Thomas who was a wood turner by trade. Thomas was the great grandson of Henry Birtwistle, a younger son of the Birtwistles of Huncoat Hall.

Thomas was married in Great Harwood Parish Church in 1691. In 1832 E.T. Birtwistle & Sons was started by Daniel Birtwistle in premises in Club Street, Great Harwood. On Daniels death his nephew Edward Thomas (1808-1877) great grandson of the first Thomas in Great Harwood took over and the move to Joiners Alley was made.

The four sons of Edward Thomas – Walter, James, Thomas and Hartley all worked in the business.

The firm became a limited company in 1936, and following the deaths of James, Thomas and Walter, Hartley’s son Edward and son-in-law Joseph took over the running of the business.

The opened the first chapel of rest adjacent to the joiners shop and qualified in Embalming and obtained the Diploma in Funeral Directing.

In 1962 the congregational church in Queen Street was purchased and converted into a chapel of rest.

Talbot Funeral Services

Very few businesses in the Blackburn area – in any line of work – can boast 130 years continuous service – especially operating from the same location for the whole of this period. 

Thomas Talbot, supported by his wife, and later sons, ran the well known business along Whalley New Road after founding it in 1876.  The business is long established, but this does not mean that it has stood still over the years.  In the early days the traditional form of funeral transport was a team of magnificent plumed Belgian horses, drawing highly polished wooden hearses complete with ornate candle lamps. 

It was in the early 1950’s that the business really began to flourish, under the stewardship of qualified Funeral Director and Embalmer John Bentley as managing director working with his wife Edith.   

Expansion in the 1960’s

When the opportunity arose, in1962, to extend the business into the adjacent premises on Whalley Road, the directors grasped the chance with enthusiasm.  Newspaper reports at the time described how the firm had succeeded in “effectively combining simplicity with splendour” – and how “nothing but the best” had been the motto for the refurbishment which had given the whole establishment an air of absolute peace and dignity.  The opening of the new premises was marked by a ceremony presided over by the Mayoress of Blackburn, Mrs M. A. McNamee.  A well known Blackburn Funeral Director, and highly respected member of the community, Mr James Hall, was qualified in 1960 and when on to manage the business from 1973 until his retirement in 1996. 
Edward Birtwistle, part of the family which has been involved in funeral directing since 1832, ran the organisation from 1973, until his retirement in 1988.  It was from this time that his children, Thomas Birtwistle and Laura took over the reins.  It is worth mentioning that the appointment of Laura Henderson represented a continuation of the long tradition of lady funeral directors at the firm spanning over a hundred years.  The business continued to flourish and build its reputation for a modern, first rate service.  A major milestone in the development of the company came with the acquisition of land and subsequent construction of purpose-built premises at 341 Whalley New Road.  Throughout the development, Thomas and Laura took leading roles with the design and décor of the new facilities and the result is what is probably the finest Chapel of Rest – including a reposing room for all denominations – supporting facilities – with disabled access and ample car parking, in the area.  Modern ancilliary services include pre-paid funeral plans, memorial services and wedding limousine hire completes the range of facilities on offer. 
The values and traditions on which the business was founded are still highly prized and adhered to today. 

Rishton Funeral Services

In 1922 George Harwood established his funeral service in Rishton.  His code of service was to offer a simply, dignified, unobtrusive and realistically priced funeral.  He believed in good old-fashioned values and was a friend to those he served. 

In 1987 when George retired, the Birtwistle family, personal friends of George, saw the opportunity to compliment their already well-established funeral business and took over the George Harwood Funeral Service.

Brother and Sister Tom Birtwistle and Laura Henderson are the 6^th generation of the Birtwistle family – who have dedicated their profession to the local community since 1832.  They are proud of the fact that they are approachable and friendly whilst being professional and genuinely care about  the people they serve. 

Tom and Laura decided to change the name to Rishton Funeral Service as they felt it would best represent the people they serve.  They are still as committed today in providing the same dedicated code of service to the people of  Rishton as George Harwood  has  done since 1922.