Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
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Description area
Dates of existence
History
In 1878 Harry Voce Thurgood started working as a clerk with James Waddell and Company in Queen Victoria Street, London. He left in 1883 and a year later joined the firm of Drury and Elliott, 11 Queen Street. In 1897 he started to practise in his own name, but by 1899, after the death of Elliott, he had joined Frank Drury as a partner. He carried on the practice as Drury, Thurgood and Company after Drury's retirement in 1901. The name of the firm has remained unchanged since then, except from 1909 until 1918 when it was known as Drury, Thurgood, Hatfield and Company. For many years the firm acted for several tea and rubber companies as the natural successor to James Waddell and Company and Drury and Elliott.
The firm took offices in Dashwood House at 69 Old Broad Street during the Second World War after its offices in Queen Victoria Street were bombed. The firm moved to Leith House at 47 Gresham Street upon merging with Reads, Cocke and Watson, later Reads &Company, in 1964. It practised from 71 Mark Lane, London from 1987 until 1994. The combined firm continued to practise under the names of both Reads and Company and Drury, Thurgood and Company until 1994 when Reads & Company merged with Grant Thornton.
Reads and Co was founded in 1869 by George Norton Read who set up practice at 3 Milk Street as G.N. Read and Company. By 1971 he had taken a partner, William Dangerfield, and the name was changed to Read and Dangerfield. The firm was subsequently restyled: Read, Dangerfield and Smith (1872); G.N. Read, Smith and Company (1876); G.N. Read Son and Company (1878); G.N. Read, Son, Cocke and Watson (1921); and Reads, Cocke and Watson (1927). Offices were opened in Guernsey in 1900; Bristol in 1904; Newfoundland, Canada in 1905; and Jersey in 1928. In 1964 the firm merged with Drury, Thurgood and Company. The name Reads and Company was adopted in 1969. There was a further merger in 1971 with the firm of Thomas Theobald and Son. The combined firm continued to practise under the names of both Reads & Company and Drury, Thurgood and Company. In 1987 the Guernsey and Jersey offices became independent of the London firm. Reads and Company merged with Grant Thornton in 1994.
The firm moved to 51 Queen Street in 1872, and then successively to 49 Queen Victoria Street in 1882, 44 Gresham Street in 1898 and 47 Gresham Street in 1927. In 1940 the offices were damaged by a bomb and the firm moved temporarily to Friars House, New Broad Street with such records as could be salvaged. The firm moved to 71 Mark Lane in 1987 and remained there until 1994.