Lupton Fawcett LLP

Lupton & Fawcett was formed by Basil Lupton and William Fawcett in 1892. The two partners remained in partnership until the death of Mr Fawcett in World War 1. Shortly after the war Harry Longley joined the practice as a partner, which remained very small with just three or four secretaries/admin staff. It was principally a conveyancing and probate firm. Basil Lupton passed away in the 1940s and in 1953, a young newly qualified solicitor, Peter Ringrose joined the firm from York. Shortly after he joined, Harry Longley died and Peter was left in charge.

Due to his family connections, the firm began to act for two major corporations. One was the Saxby family in Northamptonshire who owned a national Pork Pie Manufacturing Company and had a significant shareholding in Weetabix. The other was Henry Price (later Sir Henry) who founded Price the Tailors in Leeds, nationally known for its ‘50 shilling suits’ which became one of the biggest manufacturers of mens suits in the country. During the 50s and 60s the firm consolidated its position and recruited two new partners, Mr J Arnold and in 1965 Mr J Norris. The staff grew to about 12 or 13.

In 1966 the centre of Leeds was being redeveloped and the premises occupied by the firm since it was created,

26-27 Bond Street next to the former Leeds Library, was to be demolished. It is now the site of the HSBC branch in Park Row. The firm moved to the fifth floor of Westminster House, Park Row Leeds which was then a brand new building housing the National Westminster Bank. It is still there.

In the 1970s the legal scene was changing and there was a trend for many of the very small firms in Leeds to merge and Lupton & Fawcett agreed merger terms with F W Bell which had two partners, Douglas “Mac” Bell and Irwin Gothelf and acted for such clients as The Leeds Permanent Building Society, and also Prince Cumming which also had two partners, one of whom was Anthony Cumming and the other John Latham. In addition, a young Allan Oddy had recently qualified. That firm acted for RAC, Hunters of Armley, RSPCA and the TGWU. Mr Arnold retired from the firm and went to join Willey Hargrave (now Beachcroft Wansboroughs) and Michael Walton joined the firm as a partner. The firm became known as Lupton Fawcett Bell Cumming & Co (or LFBC for short). In 1974 it merged with another small Leeds firm, Armstrong Midgley . This firm was based in Butts Court and acted for such clients as Tetleys, the Leeds Church Extension Society and many other commercial property clients. Ron Padgett joined the firm as a partner. Douglas Mac Bell sadly died in 1976 in unfortunate circumstances and Roger Limbert (until recently a partner with Walker Morris) became a partner.