Dickson, Archer & Thorp was a solicitor’s practice set up in the late 18th Century in Alnwick. The practice had a wide client base from families with modest means to county families and the Dukes of Northumberland and the firm also dealt with criminal trials and provided advice to bodies such as the Overseers of the Poor. After the last partner, Reginald Thorp, died in 2003, over 400 archive boxes of documents were auctioned and Northumberland Archives was able to purchase the collection with grant funding.

Sue Wood, the head of collections at Northumberland Archives (Woodhorn) will be giving a talk on their Dickson, Archer & Thorp project on Thursday 10th January 2019 at 7.00pm in Bailiffgate Museum, Alnwick.  Admission free (donations invited) but booking is necessary:  book here.

The Dickson Archer & Thorp collection of documents spanning 200 years is rich in social, political and economic detail and uncovers many forgotten local stories. The tale of the scandalous Beresford Lisle, son of a prominent, wealthy family drunkenly abducting two Alnwick girls in 1907 and taking one against her will to Belgium. Tales of petty thieves transported to Australia in 1831: George Turnbull for 14 years for the theft of a ‘great coat’ and John Fletcher for 7 years for stealing 5lbs of mutton.