Title:
RECORDS DEPOSITED BY A CHELMSFORD FIRM OF SOLICITORS
Level: Category
Estate and Family records
Level: Fonds
RECORDS DEPOSITED BY A CHELMSFORD FIRM OF SOLICITORS
Scope and Content:
Many of the labels found with original bundles were originally printed advertising cards, election cards, etc. Descriptions of those listed below appear under the document reference first mentioned for each entry.

Election Cards

South Essex Parliamentary Elections
(1) 1832 D/DDw T277/8
(2) 1832 D/DDw T276/9; B6/11
(3) 1832 D/DDw T176/16,77
(4) 1847 or 1852 D/DDw T176/34; B5/1,3,10
(5) [?] 1857 D/DDw T176/3; B5/10
(6) 1859 D/DDw T176/59; T181/1-11; B5/13; B6/3-7
(7) 1859 D/DDw T176/30; T179/9,11
(8) 1865 D/DDw T176/7, 107; B4/14,18

[?] North Essex or West Essex Parliamentary Elections
(9) 1865 or 1868 D/DDw B2/9

Chelmsford societies, etc.

Chelmford and Essex Floral and Horticultural Society
(10) D/DDw T176/83

Chelmsford Independent Chapel Sunday School
(11) D/DDw T176/58

Chelmsford Literary and Mechanics Institution
(12) D/DDw T176/50; B4/9
(13) D/DDw T178/6
(14) D/DDw T277/13
(15) D/DDw B2/7
(16) D/DDw B4/19

Chelmsford Temperance Association
(17) D/DDw T176/40
(18) D/DDw T178/14; T179/15; B2/8

Chelmsford Cricket Club
(19) D/DDw B4/8
(20) D/DDw B4/3

Chelmsford Coronation Festival, 1841
(21) D/DDw T178/15
(22) D/DDw T178/8; T179/8,10; T181/12
(23) D/DDw T176/21; T181/12

Western Tribute Dinner 1834
(24) D/DDw T176/43, 56, 79; T179/5; T181/16

Miscellaneous dinners and exhibitions
(25) D/DDw T176/35, 66, 69, 88; T179/13
(26) D/DDw T276/1

Advertising Cards

Colchester and Chelmsford Gazette
(27) D/DDw T176/1-3, 14, 35, 48, 72, 73, 77, 78, 85, 107; T181/14

Braintree-Aldgate road and railway excursions
(28) D/DDw T176/23, 28, 37, 39, 44, 81, 82, 84, 85; T177/1; T178/11 ; T179/3,12,14

London Hotels
(29) D/DDw T176/58

Trade Cards

Chelmsford tradesmen
(30) D/DDw T276/2
(31) D/DDw T277/2

Out-county tradesmen
(32) D/DDw T176/68
(33) D/DDw T179/15

Miscellaneous

Chignal Chapel Clothing Fund
(34) D/DDw T179/2

Rural Fete, 1866
(35) D/DDw B5/8

Orphan Working School, Haverstock Hill, Middlesex
(36) D/DDw T176/20
Admin History:
These records derive from the two Chelmsford firms of Copland and Sons and Duffield Ward Baker.

Copland and Sons' business was established first, in 1797. In the 1830s William Ward Duffield arrived in Chelmsford to set up a practice at 96 High Street. At first this was also his private address, but he moved later to the High Street, Great Baddow, and later still to Brownings, Broomfield. Dying in 1912, aged 91, he was succeeded by his son Arthur S. Duffield (died 1930), the last partner to bear the Duffield name.

From 1939, in the absence on active service of Captain Eric Formby Copland, and after his death in 1943, the Copland business was overseen by Thomas Henry Morton Baker, a partner of Francis Ward in what was by then the firm of Duffield Ward Baker at 96 High Street.

After the Second World War the two firms amalgamated as Copland Duffield Ward and Baker. Francis Ward died in 1956 and T.H.M. Baker retired in 1959, the remaining partner - William Madeley James - being joined in 1962 by David G. Llewelyn Morgan. Shortly afterwards the firm was renamed Duffields. The former Copland and Sons office at The Institute, 60 New London Road, was evacuated in June 1963. The initial deposit in the Essex Record Office was of material from that office.

After D.G.Ll. Morgan's retirement in 2002, Duffields merged with Stunts of 71 Duke Street, Chelmsford, and their former premises at 96 High Street were given up. In 2015 Duffield Stunt Solicitors merged with Backhouse Solicitors, but the name Duffield Stunt continued in use for an estate agency trading from the same address.