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200 years young
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© Newcastle City Library
200 years young
200 years in existence as an established legal practice is a great achievement. As the firm celebrates reaching this unique milestone, we consider our accomplishments since 1811 and the key ingredients of our evolution.
Pilgrim Street c1910 - the home of Watson Burton until 1960s
200 years in the making Watson Burton’s
origins date back to the Victorian era, when the firm was founded and established in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1811. Under the management of Joseph and Robert Spence Watson, the 1800s saw the firm begin to work with some great innovators, most notably advising Joseph Swan on the patent protection of the carbon filament light bulb. Swan, whose patent led to the creation of products which have changed home and business life throughout the world, was the inventor of the electric light bulb, patenting his a year before Thomas Edison. Shortly after that Swan’s Gateshead home became the first in the world to have working light bulbs installed. Robert Spence Watson was an influential figure during a distinguished chapter of the firm’s history.
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200 years young
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the pioneering firm began to cement its reputation, with Spence Watson successfully instigating the settlement of trade disputes by arbitration, and was sole umpire on 47 occasions in such disputes between 1884 and 1904. In 1909 the offices of Watson, Burton and Corder, Solicitors and Commissioners for Oaths were based at Pilgrim House, 139 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle, where they remained until the early 1960s. In the twenty first century, the firm continues to evolve and build on the legacy created over the past 200 years as we work with exciting, innovative organisations across a range of sectors. A good example of this is the recent
work undertaken on behalf of Northumberlandbased Avid Technology Group. The company is designing and producing electric vehicles, propelling the North East to the forefront as a global hub for electric cars. More recently, a carefully planned, long-term strategy saw the firm extend its national reach. In 2004, Watson Burton moved to state of the art offices in Newcastle city centre. This was swiftly followed by the opening of a Leeds office in 2005 and the London office in 2007. It was then that the firm made the decision to focus on its core service offerings of construction and international engineering projects, employment, corporate, insurance, and real estate.
This strategy has seen the firm successfully attract a raft of major new regional, national and international clients including Atkins, Federal Signal, Bellway Group, Narec, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Bannatyne. Looking to the future the firm aims to deliver clear practical advice to clients across the country, providing them with practical solutions to meet their strategic business objectives. Key to the firm’s success is a combination of commercial and technical experience delivered with a personal touch, which forms the foundation of many long-standing client relationships.
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atson Burton’s origins date back to the Victorian era, when the firm was founded and established in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1811
State of the art offices in Newcastle since 2004
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The Leeds office, opened in 2005
The Gherkin, home to Watson Burton since 2007
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200 years young
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obert Spence Watson - profile of an influential figure
Robert
Spence Watson was born 8 June 1837 at 10 Claremont Place, Gateshead and was the second child of Joseph and Sarah Watson. He began his education in 1846 as a pupil of Dr. Collingwood Bruce then moved onto to study at Bootham School, York, at the age of 11, where he remained until he was 15. From a young age Spence Watson showed academic acumen, noted as the only boy who was able to spell 99 out of 100 words in a spelling test at Bootham, with the one wrong word being ‘fuchsia’.
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obert Spence Watson was not only an important part of the firm’s history, but also a pioneer in establishing the North East’s national profile as a region for education, culture and diversity
Just before his 16th birthday in 1853, Spence Watson began studying at University College, London, where he tied for the 1853 English Literature prize. To his later regret, he decided not to complete the course and swiftly made his way back home to the North East. 1853 was a busy year for Spence Watson. His time spent in London saw him progress with his career as he gave his first budget speech to the House of Commons and it also saw him travel abroad for the first time - a pastime that later became a regular feature within his life. In 1856, Spence Watson had a large share in the management of the Newcastle Black Shoe Brigade, which often meant rough and dirty work at midnight with vagrants and young thieves, many of whom later became competent and honest workmen as a result of his influence. After studying in London for a couple of years, Spence Watson moved back to the North East in 1860 and was admitted to practice as a lawyer. This achievement led him to begin a legal practice with his father, trading as J. & R S Watson, where he remained a practising lawyer for the rest of his life. Spence Watson had an immense passion for the arts and education which resulted in him becoming the Secretary to the Newcastle Literary & Philosophical Society in 1862 - a post which he held for 31 years. He used this position to exert great influence on the region and further afield to help establish the Lit & Phil. As a result of the hard work of him and others the Lit & Phil is now established as the UK’s largest independent library outside of London, housing more than 150,000 books as well as a music and DVD library.
As Spence Watson’s increased interest in education came to the fore, 1868 saw the start of him publishing his work, with the first paper entitled “A Plan for Making the society more extensively useful, as an educational institution”. In 1871, Spence Watson help to found the Durham College of Science, which later became Armstrong College, and developed into Newcastle University. He became its first president in 1910. Any educational movement could depend on Spence Watson’s support. He led the way in university extension for the north and in the creation of the Newcastle Free Public Library. After the death of his father in 1875, Robert, Elizabeth and their children moved into the Watson family home at Bensham grove, Gateshead, where they remained for the rest of their lives. As the recognised arbitrator in the coal trade in the North, Earl Spencer described him in 1891 as “perhaps the greatest living authority in England on labour questions.” In 1901 Spence Watson became President of the Lit and Phil, where he documented the full history of the Society, which is now on display in the library and he remained in this post up until his death in 1911. He was a lifelong Quaker, an active member of the liberal party, and became a member of the Privy Council in 1907. This year is unique in the fact that it marks two milestones - the 200th anniversary since the creation of Watson Burton and the centenary of the death of the firm’s most extraordinary character, Robert Spence Watson. This man is not only an important part of the firm’s history, but also a pioneer in establishing the North East’s national profile as a region for education, culture and diversity. Gillian Hall, Senior Partner at Watson Burton, said: “Spence Watson was a formidable arbitrator, orator and advocate of justice. He is an inspirational figure whose legacy has shaped our firm and a man whose clear vision, commitment and energy we do well to follow today.”
On 9 June 1863, Robert Spence Watson married Elizabeth Richardson at the Friends’ meeting house, Pilgrim Street, Newcastle and the couple went on to have six children together.
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