ABOUT US
Dicksons Solicitors in its current form is a result of a merger between Challinors and Dickson, Blaggs and HMB Law. As a practice we can therefore trace our roots back to the 1800’s.
Looking back at the history of Dicksons
Challinors & Dickson was a general Solicitors practice founded in 1854 by Edward Sholto Challinor who was the Deputy Town Clerk of Stoke on Trent between 1884 and 1905. During that time he combined his public duties with those of the practice which has always operated from its present address in Hanley.
In 1904 Frederick Livingstone Dickson joined the firm and became a partner shortly thereafter. When E S Challinor died in the early 1920’s F L Dickson continued the practice as a sole practitioner until his son David Eric Livingstone Dickson joined the firm in 1947. In 1960 F L Dickson died and his son continued the practice on his own until he went into partnership with S Heath in 1960, such partnership being dissolved in 1966. D E L Dickson continued the practice until P B Beresford and A W Grace joined him in partnership. D E L Dickson died in 1984. E W Green and A E Martin became partners in 1998.
HMB Law was formed by C J Hopkin, D R Bevan, and S P Marsden. C J Hopkin and D R Bevan were two of four partners in the firm of Clyde Chappell & Botham which had offices in Tunstall, Meir and Biddulph and S P Marsden was a sole practitioner of S P Marsden & Co. in Hanley. Clyde Chappell & Botham was a firm started by Clyde Chappell in 1913, and S P Marsden & Co a firm started by S P Marsden in 1995.
The firm of HMB Law was effectively the result of a merger in October 1998 of the Tunstall and Biddulph branches of Clyde Chappell & Botham with S P Marsden & Co. of Hanley. The firm ceased trading from the Biddulph office shortly thereafter.
These two firms merged on 1st October 2000 to form the new firm Dicksons HMB.
Blaggs Son and Masefield has existed in Cheadle for over 200 years. John Blagg was the founder of the firm. He was admitted as an Attorney in 1787 and was an Agent for the Lord of the Manor of Cheadle. His son John Michael Blagg took over the practice and in 1860 he drafted and secured the passage through Parliament of 5 private Acts of Parliament. He was succeeded by Charles John Blagg who was the founder of Cheadle Cricket Club in the 1850’s. In July 2001 this firm merged with DicksonsHMB to form the firm known as DicksonsHMB at Hanley and Tunstall and as Dicksons Blaggs at Cheadle. Blagg Son and Masefield was the oldest business in Cheadle and indeed one of the oldest in North Staffordshire. In 2003 the name Dicksons was introduced as the new name of the firm.
On the 1st October 2008 the firm incorporated and is now known as Dicksons Solicitors Limited (a company registered in England & Wales registration no. 06610294). Dicksons Solicitors Limited is registered with the Law Society and fulfils all the requirements of that registration and its provisions of independent advice.
With approximately 35 staff working at our offices our popularity is due to extremely successful, jargon free, legal advice delivered with very high levels of care and professional standards.
As a firm we are able to offer Legal Aid and can quickly advise whether you are likely to be eligible or not. If you would like to speak to us to find out whether or not you qualify for Legal Aid please either telephone 01782 26 24 24 or email us and we will be happy to see you at any of our premises.