DRYSDALES

In 1967 two of the oldest and most prestigious firms of solicitors in Southend, Drysdale Lamb & Jackson and J.P.Nolan & Janes, merged to create the practice of Drysdales & Janes.

Of these two partnerships, Drysdale Lamb & Jackson was the longer established, having been set up in 1887 in offices in Alexandra Street by Thomas Lamb. He was the junior partner in the firm of Todd Dennes & Lamb, Solicitors of Chancery Lane, and for some years the firm operated as a branch office in the London practice. Initially, Lamb would divide his time between the two offices but increasingly it became clear to him that there was more than enough work in Southend alone to keep him fully occupied. The practice became independent of the London firm in 1910 when John George Drysdale was taken into the partnership.

For many years the firm was known affectionately throughout the town and further afield as "Drysdales", and when we moved to our present offices in Cumberland House, at the beginning of 1997, we adopted this as our official title. The practice continues to grow, and we have continually expanded our services to meet the changing circumstances of our clients. We have invested heavily in a fully integrated computer system and have kept abreast of the latest technological advances. However, we are proud of the fact that a photograph of Thomas Lamb still hangs in our waiting room, together with ones of J.G.Drysdale and Charles Janes, and we hope that they too would be proud of what we continue to achieve.

J.P.Nolan & Janes was founded slightly later by Alderman Thurlow Baker, sometime mayor of Southend, and for many years this practice was known as Thurlow Baker & Nolan. By the time of the creation of Drysdales & Janes therefore, the two separate firms were long established, and each was able to bring to the other a substantial client base, combining local businesses, builders and developers.