What did a solicitor's clerk actually do?

[Marmalady]

Ahh yes, if there was another person in the household, parental objection is more likely as the sister would be a suitable chaperone

[Geordie daughter]

I do think that, if parental objection was the case and that they were truly in love and not just going through the motions to preserve respectability, it is rather sad that they had to wait so long to tie the knot. If I remember correctly, I think they only had about ten years together as a married couple before Henry died. Cause of death was epilepsy and heart failure, so perhaps Henry's health had something to do with it, also.

[Geordie daughter]

I've done some more digging on the subject of solicitors' clerks this morning, and it's occurred to me that even though neither of them required parental consent to marry after they'd reached their majority, their hands would have been tied by the fact that they would have struggled to set up home as a couple on their own. His salary as a solicitor's clerk would have been pretty low, though it might have improved a little in later years, and Nellie had no money of her own either (and even if she did, would probably have been cut off without a penny by her family).

Rena, I've just discovered that Dickens, who was originally a solicitor's clerk himself, taught himself shorthand and became a court reporter in the Lord Chancellor's Court, so you may be right about Henry. www.victorianlondon.org/professions/clerks.htm provided some rather tongue-in-cheek, but useful, descriptions of the different kinds of clerks. It revealed that Henry would have had working hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and would probably have been a copying clerk rather than an articled clerk. I've also found that the LMA holds various records created by Parker, Garrett and Company; they date from 1927 onwards but it might be worth my while emailing them tomorrow to ask if they have any staff lists from earlier years. The newspaper report covering Sir Henry's funeral, in 1894, states that all twenty of the staff attended it, which gives me an idea of the size of the firm at that point in time. 

[EmmaParker]

History of Parker, Garrett & Co Solicitors.

Hi all - bit late joining the thread - but here is my interest - Sir Henry Watson Parker was my great, great grandfather.  His sons, Henry Bernard Joseph Parker and Wilfred Watson Parker were also solicitors in the firm.  Wilfred was my Great Grandfather.

According to my uncle Wilfred misappropriated client funds - I have no idea how to verify this - Any thoughts?

This is the summary history of the firm.

In 1858, Henry Watson Parker became a partner in the solicitors' firm of Ellis and Clarke, of 2 Cowper's Court, Cornhill. Until 1868 the firm was then known as Ellis, Parker and Clarke, and in 1864 it moved its premises to the rectory house of St Michael Cornhill.

After 1869 the firm traded under the following styles:
1869-74: Parker and Clarke;
1875: Parker, Watney and Clarke;
1876-9: Parker and Clarke;
1880-1: Parker and Co;
1883-96: Parker, Garrett and Parker;
1897-1901: Parker, Garrett and Holman;
1902-9: Parker, Garrett, Holman and Howden;
1911 to c 1983: Parker, Garrett and Company.

In 1958, Parker, Garrett and Company took over the solicitors' firm of Rivington and Son, of 1 Fenchurch Buildings, 107 Fenchurch Street.

In circa 1983, Parker, Garrett and Company amalgamated with another firm, Taylor and Humbert, of 1 Raymond Buildings, Gray's Inn, to form Taylor, Garrett and Company. St Michael's rectory house was briefly retained as a branch office. In 1985, Taylor, Garrett and Company moved to 180 Fleet Street

[Rena]

History of Parker, Garrett & Co Solicitors.

Hi all - bit late joining the thread - but here is my interest - Sir Henry Watson Parker was my great, great grandfather.  His sons, Henry Bernard Joseph Parker and Wilfred Watson Parker were also solicitors in the firm.  Wilfred was my Great Grandfather.

According to my uncle Wilfred misappropriated client funds - I have no idea how to verify this - Any thoughts?

After my paternal grandfather's death in 1918 and upon learning how little was bequeathed, my father and his six siblings thought their late father's solicitor had been dipping his hand into the trust fund he'd set up for their mother, but I doubt they did anything about it.

I see from the U.K. Law Society's Research Guide that there's no indication of whether a solicitor has been struck off (see below).  Perhaps a local newspaper might have some details.

"A lawyer’s name normally appears in the Law List the year after admission and continues until he or she retires, dies or is struck off (there is no indication which applies). There are separate lists for London solicitors, country solicitors and counsel (barristers). There are often separate lists for overseas lawyers, judges, conveyancers and draftsmen."   

[Geordie daughter]

Hi Emma
It might be worth contacting the London Metropolitan Archives (LMA), if you haven't already done so, as they have a huge chunk of the records pertaining to Parker, Garrett & Co. If they can't help you with your query directly, they might be able to point you in the right direction.

[Geordie daughter]

Emma, I've had a look to see what I could find online and in the newspapers but there's not an awful lot about Wilfred. I found two obits for him at https://williamgray101.wordpress.com/tag/lady-ob/ and  references to him receiving an MBE in 1919, being a member of the Grand Jury for the Bucks Quarter Sessions in 1924, and proposing candidates for local elections, but that's about it. His wife and daughters got more mentions than him, by the looks of it. (There are a couple of informative articles, complete with photos, on his son Leonard's wedding, if you're interested, though!)

[EmmaParker]

After my paternal grandfather's death in 1918 and upon learning how little was bequeathed, my father and his six siblings thought their late father's solicitor had been dipping his hand into the trust fund he'd set up for their mother, but I doubt they did anything about it.

My sincere apologies if Wilfred is to blame.  My father told me yesterday that he knew his grandfather (Wilfred) had misappropriated money from his wife's family - the Purssells, and that Wlfred's son, my grandfather Leonard, had spent much of his life trying to repay the Purssells.  It doesn't take much of a stretch of imagination to believe that Wilfred may have dipped his hand into other client funds.  It seems that Wilfred maybe the black sheep in the Parker tree.

[EmmaParker]

I've had a look to see what I could find online and in the newspapers but there's not an awful lot about Wilfred. I found two obits for him at https://williamgray101.wordpress.com/tag/lady-ob/ and  references to him receiving an MBE in 1919, being a member of the Grand Jury for the Bucks Quarter Sessions in 1924, and proposing candidates for local elections, but that's about it. His wife and daughters got more mentions than him, by the looks of it. (There are a couple of informative articles, complete with photos, on his son Leonard's wedding, if you're interested, though!)

I've spent many hours on William Gray's website, it is very informative, though I missed the point of him being a member of the Grand Jury and the photos of my grandfather Leonard's wedding (I presume it was his first wedding as he married 3 times).

His website is focused on the Purssell family as that is his line, and I have been in touch with him - he doesn't have any further information on the Parker branch.