Elwyn R. Roberts & Co.
A brief history of the firm
Elwyn R. Roberts, generally known as Robbie to his friends in the profession, trained in London and later joined the practice of William A Shepherd & Son in Manchester. He became Vice President of the Institute of Trade Mark Agents in 1984 and would have gone on to be President had his business affairs not been so time consuming. He was later awarded an MBE for his services to the profession.
Elwyn Roberts had been a partner in William A Shepherd & Son for some years, the senior partner and major shareholder being Charles Shepherd. Following the death of Charles in 1973, John Roberts became a partner in the firm with John Toulmin. Sadly, relations soured between the two partners and the question of continuing the partnership became untenable. The partnership finally ended in an auction between the two partners which resulted in John Toulmin becoming the proprietor of William A Shepherd & Son in May 1985. The auction agreement provided for the outgoing partner to be allowed to set up practice anywhere, and for the continuing partner to notify all clients of the dissolution of the partnership, giving details of the new practice being set up by the outgoing partner, including its address.
Elwyn Roberts accordingly commenced to practice under the title of Elwyn R. Roberts & Co. in May 1985. A number of the clients of the former Shepherd partnership transferred their work to him there. It was gratifying that several of these clients were substantial ones, such as BPB, Rank Hovis, British Bakeries, Umbro, and Whitford. Many of those clients are still with Wilson Gunn today.
Kathryn (Kate) Johnson was not happy in the 'new' Shepherd organisation and joined Elwyn in Elwyn R. Roberts & Co. as an assistant in August 1985. Kate became a partner in the firm on 1st November 1985. The partnership continued from that date.
Robbie was looking to retire so Elwyn R Roberts & Co. thus entered into an association with the then Wilson Gunn M'Caw. The Wilson Gunn partners Bill Downey, Barry Quest and Mark Goodwin also become partners in Elwyn R. Roberts & Co., Robbie acted as a Consultant to Elwyn R. Roberts & Co., and the Roberts business transferred from their offices in 53–55 Princess Street (now demolished) to join Wilson Gunn M'Caw in the Royal Exchange in about 1998. Elwyn R. Roberts & Co. was renamed Wilson Gunn Roberts, after Bruce Marsh had joined the partnership in 1996.
Kate turned 60 in 2005, the same year that Robbie was 80, and she retired from Wilson Gunn Roberts at the end of April in that year.
Memories of partner John Roberts
"I had been a partner in William A Shepherd & Son for some years, the senior partner and major shareholder being Charles Shepherd. Following the death of Charles in 1973, I became a 50-50 partner in the firm with John Toulmin. Something soured between us and the question of continuing the partnership became untenable. It would be of no interest to your proposed history to go further into that, but the partnership finally ended in an auction between the two partners which resulted in John Toulmin becoming the proprietor of William A Shepherd & Son in May 1985. The auction agreement provided for the outgoing partner to be allowed to set up practice anywhere and for the continuing partner to notify all clients of the dissolution of the partnership, giving details of the new practice being set up by the outgoing partner, including its address.
"I accordingly commenced to practice under the title of Elwyn R Roberts & Co in May 1985. A number of the clients of the former WAS partnership transferred their work to me, and I am pleased to say that those clients still are clients of ERR & Co. It was gratifying that several of these clients are substantial, such as BPB, Rank Hovis, British Bakeries, Umbro, etc.
"Kate Johnson was not happy in the 'new' WAS and joined me in ERR & Co as an assistant in August 1985. Kate became a partner in the firm on 1 November 1985. The partnership continued from that date, until the discussions with you and your partners at WGM. You have details of the new partnership agreement, of course, and the agreement whereby ERR & Co entered into the association with WGM."