Gregsons Solicitors - Our History

Our History

Gregsons is one of the oldest firms of solicitors in England. When Jesse Gregson was born in 1759, George II was King, Canada was still controlled by the French, the East India Company governed India and Australia was not yet a penal colony.

Jesse was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in 1786 and two years later he took into partnership William Burden and Gregsons was born.

By 1793, the firm was established at 8 Angel Court in the City of London which was to remain its home for the next 111 years. Jesse was appointed solicitor to 'The Solicitor for Prosecuting Felons' and, during the Napoleonic Wars, his son Jonathan entered the practice. Together, they assisted Sir Robert Peel in the preparation of legislation which laid the foundations for the new Police Force. Following Jesse's death in 1824, the firm remained with Jonathan who, shortly before the outbreak of the Crimean War, took into partnership his own son Robert. The line was continued when, in 1887 the year of Queen Victoria 's Golden Jubilee, Jesse's great-grandson, Leonard, became a partner.

In 1901, Leonard was joined by Frederick W Wareham who, in 1894, had moved to Wimbledon . Here, he sheltered and represented the exiled Emile Zola, following the celebrated Dreyfus case.

The firm was passed to Frederick on the Leonard’s retirement in 1904 and moved to 14 John Street , Adelphi and then, after the Great War, to 34 Surrey Street , Strand. Frederick established a Wimbledon office in Alexandra Road , moving to 57 St George's Road in 1926. This became the firm’s principle office and remained so until the move to St Christopher’s House in 1988. By the time of the Second World War, the partnership consisted of Wareham, his son 'Boy' and his son-in-law Cecil Burr, the father of Jeffery Burr, who joined the firm in 1943 becoming senior partner in 1968.

Shortly thereafter Jeffery was joined by John Fleming who in the early 1980s opened the firm’s second office in Woking .

In 1988 the firm celebrated its bi-centenary – a proud record which can be bettered by few firms. What better way to celebrate than with a champagne reception at Hurlingham!

The following year, after twenty-one years as Senior Partner, Jeffery retired and was in due course succeeded by Edmund Middlehurst who had himself joined the firm in 1975 as Jeffery’s trainee.

Since then, Michael Creamore (Employment) who also did his training at Gregsons, Michael Jones (Property), Alexandra Adam (Civil Litigation) and Katherine Carroll (Private Client) have joined the Partnership. Michael Ward (a Consultant and Public Notary) came to the firm in 1990 when his established Wimbledon Village practice, Lake Ward & Co, merged with Gregsons and more recently Duncan Rabagliati has arrived from Wedlake Bell as a consultant in Private Client work.

Gregsons today remains essentially the same firm which was founded by Jesse Gregson over 215 years ago – a busy and thriving practice which aims at serving the community in which it is based and providing a fair and effective solution to the various problems of all its clients.

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		Our History Gregsons is one of the oldest firms of solicitors in England. When Jesse Gregson was born in 1759, George II was King, Canada was still controlled by the French, the East India Company governed India and Australia was not yet a penal colony. Jesse was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in 1786 and two years later he took into partnership William Burden and Gregsons was born. By 1793, the firm was established at 8 Angel Court in the City of London which was to remain its home for the next 111 years. Jesse was appointed solicitor to 'The Solicitor for Prosecuting Felons' and, during the Napoleonic Wars, his son Jonathan entered the practice. Together, they assisted Sir Robert Peel in the preparation of legislation which laid the foundations for the new Police Force. Following Jesse's death in 1824, the firm remained with Jonathan who, shortly before the outbreak of the Crimean War, took into partnership his own son Robert. The line was continued when, in 1887 the year of Queen Victoria 's Golden Jubilee, Jesse's great-grandson, Leonard, became a partner. In 1901, Leonard was joined by Frederick W Wareham who, in 1894, had moved to Wimbledon . Here, he sheltered and represented the exiled Emile Zola, following the celebrated Dreyfus case. The firm was passed to Frederick on the Leonard’s retirement in 1904 and moved to 14 John Street , Adelphi and then, after the Great War, to 34 Surrey Street , Strand. Frederick established a Wimbledon office in Alexandra Road , moving to 57 St George's Road in 1926. This became the firm’s principle office and remained so until the move to St Christopher’s House in 1988. By the time of the Second World War, the partnership consisted of Wareham, his son 'Boy' and his son-in-law Cecil Burr, the father of Jeffery Burr, who joined the firm in 1943 becoming senior partner in 1968. Shortly thereafter Jeffery was joined by John Fleming who in the early 1980s opened the firm’s second office in Woking . In 1988 the firm celebrated its bi-centenary – a proud record which can be bettered by few firms. What better way to celebrate than with a champagne reception at Hurlingham! The following year, after twenty-one years as Senior Partner, Jeffery retired and was in due course succeeded by Edmund Middlehurst who had himself joined the firm in 1975 as Jeffery’s trainee. Since then, Michael Creamore (Employment) who also did his training at Gregsons, Michael Jones (Property), Alexandra Adam (Civil Litigation) and Katherine Carroll (Private Client) have joined the Partnership. Michael Ward (a Consultant and Public Notary) came to the firm in 1990 when his established Wimbledon Village practice, Lake Ward & Co, merged with Gregsons and more recently Duncan Rabagliati has arrived from Wedlake Bell as a consultant in Private Client work. Gregsons today remains essentially the same firm which was founded by Jesse Gregson over 215 years ago – a busy and thriving practice which aims at serving the community in which it is based and providing a fair and effective solution to the various problems of all its clients. PausePlay \| Up \| Down scroll