History

Jesse Gregson founded the firm in 1788 just as Australia was being settled as a penal colony and at a time when the American War of Independence was still a recent memory. George III was mid way through his long reign over Great Britain and Ireland and his son was yet to be appointed Prince Regent

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 '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 much celebrated Dreyfus case.

The firm was passed to Frederick on Leonard’s retirement in 1904 and moved to 14 John Street 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 principal 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 Jeffrey Burr, who joined the firm in 1943 becoming senior partner in 1968. Two of the firm’s current partners, Edmund Middlehurst and Michael Creamore trained with the firm, Edmund with Jeffrey Burr.

In 1988 the firm celebrated its bi-centenary with a champagne reception at Hurlingham.

Gregsons today continues the same traditions of service to its clients as a busy and thriving practice in the same way as it has for nearly 225 years.