Tag: North Shields history

In a year that saw Washington deliver his first State of the Union, revolution rumble through France, and Mozart debut Cosi fan Tutte, life in North Shields was also quietly changing. In 1790, local craftsman John Turnbull set up shop as a furniture maker and undertaker in the Low Town beside the Fish Quay—laying the foundations for what would become one of the town’s longest-standing family businesses. Fast forward 234 years and E. Turnbull & Son is still serving the community, now led by seventh-generation descendant Ben Broadhead. From hand-written ledgers to horse-drawn carriages, wartime tragedy to modern, personalised services, the story of Turnbull’s is woven into the history of North Shields. We sat down with Ben to explore the family legacy, the evolving craft of funeral directing, and why community remains at the heart of everything they do.