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14.07.2009 - WARWICKSHIRE SHEEP FARMER TAPS INTO

MEDIA RELEASE - July 14, 2009

A Warwickshire sheep farmer has diversified into the funeral business after discussions to supply a prestigious textile company with wool to make coffins and caskets.

NFU member David Eglin, of Bulkington, Bedworth, is now supplying, to the British Wool Marketing Board Quality Assurance Scheme, fleeces from his award winning Dorset sheep.  Hainsworth, a Yorkshire-based textile firm, is now buying wool from this scheme for its new innovative product, woollen coffins. Hainsworth is keen to support British Sheep farming and uses 3 fleeces per coffin.

The Pudsey-based firm, founded in 1783 and best known for making military uniforms, unveiled its Swaledale woollen coffins and caskets at The National Funeral Exhibition, at Stoneleigh Park, a few months ago.

Mr Eglin, who is an NFU Warwickshire member and former county chairman, was invited to the exhibition by Hainsworth to parade his sheep and to discuss the biodegradable woollen coffins and ashes caskets.

The sheep farmer, who was inspired to find new markets for his wool while on a visit overseas, said he now hoped to establish a solid working relationship with the textile business.

Mr Eglin said: “I was in Spain on a business trip to go and see a sales drive that was taking place for Merino wool products.

“I ended up spending quite a bit of money on blankets and bed covers and this made me think about what I could do with the wool from my own Dorset flock.

“Dorset sheep wool is not too far away from Merino wool which is renowned for being fine and silky and I wanted to explore new markets for it.

“Following the trip I then went along to this huge exhibition for those in the funeral business, and discussed with Hainsworth the possibility of using my fleeces for their coffins.

“As farmers it is very important for us to find other markets and rather than being offered 40p to 45p per fleece.  Hainsworth pay nearer the £2 mark per kilo through the British Wool Marketing Boards Quality Assurance Scheme.

Hainsworth is using 17th century burial methods as inspiration for the woollen coffins and caskets and the Burial in Wool Act of 1667 said all bodies, except plague victims, should be buried in English woollen shrouds.

The law demanded that “no corpse should be buried in anything other than what is made of sheep’s wool only; or put into any coffin lined or faced with any material but sheep’s wool, on pain of forfeiture of £5”.

Traditionally soldiers have also been buried in their regimental uniforms and Hainsworth continues to be a major supplier of military cloth which it has been doing since before the Battle of Waterloo.

Hainsworth coffins and caskets, which are distributed by JC Atkinson & Sons throughout the UK and Ireland, come complete with a personalised embroidered woollen name plate and jute is used for the coffin handles.