Our resident embalmers

Martin Jeffrey MBIE Dip FD

I am a team leader and embalmer with William Purves Funeral Directors Ltd in Edinburgh, responsible for the embalming department and stores departments. I have worked in the funeral industry for 26 years having spent 25 of those years with William Purves.

Since joining the company in 1990, I have achieved the following skills and diplomas.

January 1995 – Embalming Diploma

Member of the British Institute of Embalmers – MBIE

May 1997 – Funeral Director Diploma

Member of The National Association of Funeral Directors – Dip FD

November 1997

Attended:
Advanced Post Mortem Reconstructive Surgery Course:
Fountain National Academy of Professional Embalming Skills, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, USA

Invited:
Whilst attending the course I was invited to formally become an Honorary member of “SIGMA PHI SIGMA” and Educational Fraternity based at the University. A Faculty of Applied Sciences and Art.

November 2004

Attended:
Academy of Restoration and Embalming – University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

August 2010

Attended:
Fountain National Academy, International Embalming Reconstructive Surgery Conference for Professional Embalmers, Springfield, Missouri, USA

Learning new techniques and new embalming product capabilities whilst networking with colleagues from around the world.

October 2010

Joined:
Blakes Emergency Services International Response Team

Being available to deploy to any location within the UK or overseas, working within a team to provide emergency mortuary support which responds to mass fatality incidents.

November 2010

Joined:
American Society of Embalmers

Keeping in touch with other professional embalmers whilst being kept informed of continuing education programs that will become available.

March 2011

At William Purves:

Start up of the first of its kind, William Purves Embalming Academy – Introduction to Embalming. Tutoring on a 1-2-1- basis on a one week course. Tutoring being done by Ross Corney.

May 2011

Attended:

Fountain National Academy of Professional Embalming Skills, Springfield, Missouri

Advanced post mortem reconstructive surgery seminar
and
Advanced 2 post mortem reconstructive surgery seminar

Having now completed over 100 hours of specialized instruction at the Fountain Academy in reconstructive surgery.

October 2013

Attended:
Royal Liverpool Community Hospital/British Association of Skin Camouflage

Skin camouflage application techniques to post mortem skin.

November 2015

Attended:
PMR Post Mortem Restituo, Malmo, Sweden

Airbrush cosmetics course covering colour application, concealing techniques, highlighting and contouring techniques.

October 2016

Start-up of the first of its kind in the United Kingdom and Europe- (5 day) Post Mortem Reconstruction surgery course held at Edinburgh University-Anatomy @ Edinburgh, tutoring being done by Martin Jeffrey and Ross Corney

Working with my colleague, Ross Corney, we have completed over 20,000 cases and our working day includes many cases varying from standard, post mortem and reconstructive, all of which are completed to a high standard, treating each case with the respect and dignity they deserve.

August 2017

Pearson BTEC Level 3 Award in Education and Training

February 2018

Attended:
Anatomy Live, semi-synthetic human cadaver dissection, Newcastle
Facial Anatomy, dissect and inject course, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh

March - November 2018

Attended:
Edinburgh University Anatomy Workshops, Old Medical School, Edinburgh

Ross Corney MBIE Dip FD

I am an Embalmer with William Purves Funeral Directors Ltd in Edinburgh. I started work as a driver in 1989 and have progressed over 27 years to become a full time Embalmer and qualified Funeral Director.

My qualifications are:

January 1995 – Embalming Diploma
Enrolled as a member of The British Institute of Embalmers – MBIE

May 1991 – Funeral Director Diploma
Enrolled as a Member of The National Association of Funeral Directors – Dip FD.

May 2003
Certificate Forensic Medicine and Science

October 2010
Became a member of Blakes Emergency Services International Response Team

Being available to deploy to any location within the UK or overseas as part of a team to provide emergency mortuary support responding to mass fatality incidents.

March 2011
William Purves Funeral Directors

Started tutoring embalming and have tutored over 100 students on a 1-2-1 basis.

September 2012
Fountain Nation Academy of Professional Embalming Skills

Advanced post mortem reconstructive surgery course
Advanced 11 post mortem reconstructive surgery course

November 2015
PMR Post Mortem Restituo, Malmo, Sweden

Airbrush cosmetics course covering colour application, concealing techniques, highlighting and contouring techniques.

October 2016
Start-up of the first of its kind in the united kingdom and Europe-(5 day) post mortem reconstructive surgery course at Edinburgh University-Anatomy ‘ Edinburgh, tutoring being done by Ross Corney and Martin Jeffrey.

Working with my colleague, Martin Jeffrey, we have completed over 20,000 cases.

Our working day includes standard, post mortem and reconstructive embalming, all of which are carried out not only to a high standard, but also with the utmost dignity and respect.

March - November 2018

Attended:
Edinburgh University Anatomy Workshops, Old Medical School, Edinburgh