Hubert Swainson Funeral Services

17/11/2025

At the request of the family, we announce the funeral arrangements for the late Shirley Anderson
https://www.swainsonsfuneralservice.co.uk/shirley-anderson/

16/11/2025

•• Daphne Jean Swainson ••
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Daphne Jean Swainson, who died peacefully last night.

Mrs Swainson was a woman of extraordinary spirit. Strong-minded, fiercely independent and known as a force to be reckoned with. Behind her steely exterior she could be extraordinarily kind and cheeky.

Born in Australia, she met her husband to be Hubert, whilst he was stationed overseas near Sydney during the war. She took the six week journey to the UK by boat and later became an important part of this family funeral business.

Over the decades her family grew to include five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

She was a talented dancer, fondly remembered, alongside her husband, for their skills on the dancefloor of the Royal Hall. Kept many local garden centres in business and was a stickler for good manners and being on time.

She remained fiercely independent throughout her long life, tending to a garden overflowing with plants and maintaining her lifelong love of anything sparkly.

She died during Strictly, she said it wasn’t very good this year anyway…

RIP - we hope the stars are sparkly enough for you.

09/11/2025

On this Remembrance Day, we pause to honour all those who sacrificed so much for our freedom. Let us never forget their courage and dedication.
Lest we forget.

07/11/2025

27/10/2025

At the request of the family, we announce the funeral arrangements for the late Alan Leslie Ford
https://bit.ly/4nog5x4

25/10/2025

At the request of the family, we announce the funeral arrangements for the late Ann Skinner
https://bit.ly/47mr2JB

23/10/2025

We know people need to deal with their grief in different ways and we hope that our Letters to Heaven Postbox is one small way we can continue to help.

17/10/2025

We are proud to support Harrogate Rugby - good luck to all the teams for this weekend's matches

Saturday 18th October

1st XV Harrogate vs Druffield at the Apollo Capital Stadium – Kick Off 14:00
2nd XV Away game, Harrogate vs Old Brodleians – Kick Off 15:00

Lets see you all there

10/10/2025

At the request of the family, we announce the funeral arrangements for the late David John Luery
https://www.swainsonsfuneralservice.co.uk/david-john-luery/

08/10/2025

With grateful thanks to Harrogate Past Present and Future for colourising one of our old images.

This was Swainsons when at 47 Chapel Street (now Starling coffee shop in Harrogate town centre).

The business had the shop on Chapel Street and the works on Franklin Road as you can see from an old letterhead.

As with many undertakers at the time you can clearly see it was a varied offering, but often cabinetmakers with their carpentry skills were also undertakers, and they started to 'undertake' the preparation of all elements involved in a funeral.

For years, furniture stores and funeral homes operated under one roof. Many cabinet makers were sent off to study and specialise in the art of embalming as you can see by the Kelly's Directories. As their education increased, these undertakers became highly specialised at their trade.

Swainsons Funeral Service still operates as an independent family business with a direct line to William Swainson. We are still on Franklin Road, still with the same number telephone number, albeit with a 50 in front of it - 504571.

We love having so much history within the town, and we're lucky to serve the community in the way we do.

07/10/2025

At the request of the family, we announce the funeral arrangements for the late Catherine "Ruth" Batchelor
https://www.swainsonsfuneralservice.co.uk/catherine-ruth-batchelor/

04/10/2025

In loving memory of Alan Langley
May he rest in peace
https://www.swainsonsfuneralservice.co.uk/alan-john-langley/