John de Fontibus (de Pherd) was Abbot of Fountains and then Bishop of Ely and Lord treasurer 1220-1225. He was reputed as a saint, but never received formal cult; he was commemorated on 19 June.
A member of the Kent School, Connecticut, Crew at Henley.
This firm of solicitors can trace its origins back to 1789 when Christopher Pemberton set up a legal practice on his own in Cambridge. On his death in 1850 the work of his practice passed to Clement Francis (who had his own legal practice in Cambridge). He worked as a sole practitioner until he took into partnership Thomas Webster and Alfred Smith Riches in 1861 to form Francis Webster and Riches. From that time until 1907 the firm continued changing its name to reflect the partners involved. It also retained its connections to the Francis family with two of Clement's sons, Thomas Musgrave and Walter Hamond, becoming partners. Walter's son Walter Maclaren became the third generation to work for the firm after he joined as an assistant in 1925 and then partner from 1931 (he retired as a partner in 1968 but was retained as a consultant until his death in 1970 which brought to an end 120 years of continuous service by the Francis family). In 1907 a decision was taken to shorten the name to Francis & Co and this remained the name (irrespective of partners) until 1987.
Clients included: Barclays Bank; the University; a large number of the Colleges (including Jesus, Corpus Christi, Clare, Downing, Emmanuel, St Johns and Trinity); prominent Cambridgeshire families; Addenbrooke’s hospital; the Evelyn Nursing Home; Girton and Newnham and Ely Diocesan Board of Finance. By the time the Second World War broke out they were the biggest firm of solicitors in Cambridge with five partners whereas few others had more than two.
Increased work meant having to take on assistants and clerical staff and the office space at 10 Peas Hill was too small. It was decided to take up additional office space on 2nd and 3rd floors of 17 Market Street. In 1984 the Litigation Department and the Leasehold Department moved in. By this time the demands of existing clients meant there was a need for a specialist solicitor and department dealing with company and commercial law. This in turn lead to an expansion of the business and working over two sites proved difficult. In 1986 it was decided to take the lease of 24 Hills Road (re christen it Francis House) and move all departments under one roof.
Mills & Reeve (a leading Norwich practice founded by Henry Jacob Mills in 1880) wanted to open a branch office in Cambridge, which they did in November 1986, at 6 Clifton Court Cherry Hinton Road. Immediately negotiations began for a merger and in 1987 this successfully went ahead to form Mills & Reeve Francis. The first female partner, Michelle Gail Cookson, was appointed in the same year.
Mounting volume of client business resulting from the merger led to increasing staffing and further pressure on office space and so in 1989 all departments were moved under one roof at Francis House, 112 Hills Road, Cambridge
1789 - 1813 Christopher Pemberton
1813 - 1820 Pemberton and Fiske
1820 - 1829 Pemberton Fiske and Hayward
1829 - 1838 Pemberton and Hayward
1838 - 1843 Christopher Pemberton
1843 - 1850 Pemberton and Thrower
1850 - 1861 Clement Francis
1861 - 1876 Francis Webster and Riches
1876 - 1879 Francis Riches and Francis
1879 - 1887 Francis and Francis
1887 - 1888 Francis Francis and Parker
1888 - 1898 Francis and Francis
1898 - 1905 Francis Francis and Collin
1905 - 1907 Francis Francis Collin and Peile
1907 - 1987 Francis & Co
1987 - Mills & Reeve Francis
The partners were Clement Francis and Thomas Musgrave Francis
This firm of solicitors can trace its origins back to 1789 when Christopher Pemberton set up a legal practice on his own in Cambridge. On his death in 1850 the work of his practice passed to Clement Francis (who had his own legal practice in Cambridge). He worked as a sole practitioner until 1861 when he took into partnership Thomas Webster and Alfred Smith Riches and formed Francis Webster and Riches.
In 1876 Thomas Webster retired from the practice (but continued the work of his London practice) and so Clement took his son Thomas Musgrave Francis into the business, trading as Francis Riches and Francis. In 1879 Alfred Riches died and Clement and his son continued their partnership until Clement died in 1880 (although the name Francis and Francis continued to be used until 1887).
The partners were Thomas Musgrave Francis and Walter Hamond Francis.
This firm of solicitors can trace its origins back to 1789 when Christopher Pemberton set up a legal practice on his own in Cambridge. On his death in 1850 the work of his practice passed to Clement Francis (who had his own legal practice in Cambridge). He worked as a sole practitioner until 1861 when he took into partnership Thomas Webster and Alfred Smith Riches and formed Francis Webster and Riches. This firm continued in business over the years changing its name to reflect the partners involved. Clement Francis died in 1880 and Thomas Musgrave Francis needed assistance in running the business and so looked to his younger brother Walter Hamond Francis. Walter Hamond was completing his articles which he did in 1882. He then work as an assistant solicitor in the firm for five years before being taken into partnership in 1887.
This firm of solicitors can trace its origins back to 1789 when Christopher Pemberton set up a legal practice on his own in Cambridge. On his death in 1850 the work of his practice passed to Clement Francis (who had his own legal practice in Cambridge). He worked as a sole practitioner until 1861 when he took into partnership Thomas Webster and Alfred Smith Riches and formed Francis Webster and Riches. This firm continued in business over the years changing its name to reflect the partners involved. Clement Francis died in 1880.
In 1898 Clement's two sons Thomas Musgrave and Walter Hamond took into partnership their former articled clerk and assistant John Collin to form Francis Francis and Collin.
In 1905 Frank Kitchener Peile joined the firm and the name changed to Francis Francis Collin and Peile. In 1907 it was decided to shorten the name to Francis & Co and it stayed this way until the firm merged with Mills & Reeve to form Mills & Reeve Francis in 1987.
Thomas Musgrave Francis died in 1931; Walter Hamond Francis died in 1940; John Collin retired in 1939 and died in 1944 (his son Hugh Collin became a partner in 1934); Frank Peile died in 1927
This firm of solicitors can trace its origins back to 1789 when Christopher Pemberton set up a legal practice on his own in Cambridge. On his death in 1850 the work of his practice passed to Clement Francis (who had his own legal practice in Cambridge). He worked as a sole practitioner until 1861 when he took into partnership Thomas Webster and Alfred Smith Riches and formed Francis Webster and Riches. This firm continued in business over the years changing its name to reflect the partners involved. Clement Francis died in 1880 and Musgrave needed assistance in running the business and so looked to his younger brother Walter Hamond Francis and Edmund Henry Parker. Walter Hamond was completing his articles which he did in 1882. He then work as an assistant solicitor in the firm for five years before being taken into partnership. Edmund Parker was a qualified solicitor but wanted to join Kings College as had his brother before him and needed employment to support him during his undergraduate studies. He matriculated in 1882 and entered Kings College in 1883. In June 1885 he was equal first in the first class list of law tripos. On 1st January 1887 Walter Hamond and Edmund Parker both 29 years old were admitted into partnership as Francis Francis and Parker.
One of the firm's major client's was Mortlock's Bank. A dispute broke out between the partners of the bank leading to Mr Mortlock looking for a new partner. He asked Mr Francis but he suggested Edmund Parker who left the firm in 1888 and joined the bank. Also in that year he married Ellen Francis (Musgrave and Walter Hamond’s sister). Mortlock's Bank continued to be major clients and the firm changed its name to Francis and Francis [Mortlock's Bank was one of the constituent banks that is now Barclays plc]