Towners – 150 years of heritage, resilience and innovation

It was in May 1943, during a ‘tip and run raid’, that a wave of WW2 bombs hit the London-Norman Road junction, bringing down the walls of Arthur C. Towner funeral directors.

From the rubble, Arthur C. Towner, son of the company founder ‘Old Wiggy’, emerged unscathed, carrying both the family legacy and a determination to rebuild a company that now celebrates its 150th year.

To the present day the undertakers and stonemasons can still be found on Norman Road operating out of a former stable. The family-run firm continues to be a beacon in the community, serving the public with the same principles Frederick Edward Towner (Old Wiggy) established when he started the business in 1875.

Over six generations, Towners has prided itself as one of the most prominent funeral directors in the area with locations, alongside the St Leonards HQ, in Battle and Bexhill-on-Sea.

For current owner and managing director, Oliver Towner, their 150th year marks an opportunity to solidify the company’s history and take the business in a new and exciting direction.

His ‘don’t settle’ mindset, passed down from those who preceded him, was driving innovation and out-of-the-box thinking long before Oliver took on the managing director role in 2021. He envisions a future of low-cost, low-carbon cremation, pushing for more sustainable practices as well as challenging funeral sector norms.

However, it’s the emphasis on people that will always be at the heart of what Towners do. This is evidenced in the century and a half of archival records stored at the St Leonards funeral home. Names, occupations and funeral costs dating back over the longevity of the business, a record of the impact Towners has had on so many people’s lives.

‘My father’, Oliver tells us, ‘has the history of our business committed to memory, and to honour its success, that story must be preserved for future generations.’

In a recent documentary produced to celebrate Towner’s 150th year, Oliver’s father stands in front of a portrait of his great-great-grandfather and founder, Frederick Edward Towner. ‘We call him Old Wiggy,’ he confesses fondly, ‘because I’m not entirely convinced it’s his own hair.’

‘It’s a delicate business,’ he continues. ‘We’re given a huge amount of trust. You’re responsible for the final stage of someone’s life. The life of a friend, a father or mother, a son or a daughter. Every life matters.’

And it’s life that has been top of mind for the Towners in recent months. With the family announcing that Oliver is expecting his first child, the 7th generation and the next 150 years are already in the making.