Solicitors' records can be divided into 3 main categories.  Records of the firm usually consist of letter books and account books; records of the firm's clients including families, business, schools, charities etc; and records of other organisations and institutions such as turnpike trusts or petty sessions, in which members of the firm held official positions.

Records from other firms of solicitors may also have been inherited during take-overs and mergers.

Most records relate to the town within which the firm of solicitors was situated, or the surrounding area, but some clients came from further afield and the geographical area covered by the records reflects this.

Some collections are not listed in detail and entries reflect available information.  Groups of records that have not been listed may not necessarily be produced in the searchroom.  Please check directly with the individual Archive Centre concerned.

Links to online catalogues of holdings:

Allison, Solicitors of Whitehaven (Records are held at an outstore near Carlisle and can only be accessed through consultation with staff there: Carlisle Archives )

Arnison, Solicitors of Penrith

Arnold Greenwood and Sons, Solicitors of Kendal

Beaty's, Solicitors of Wigton

Bendle, Sibson and Davidson, Solicitors of Carlisle (papers not listed)

Benson, Solicitors of Cockermouth (Records held at an outstore near Carlisle and can only be accessed through consultation with staff there: Carlisle Archives )

Binyon and Chapman, Solicitors of Ulverston (papers not listed in detail)

Blackburn and Main, Solicitors of Carlisle (papers not listed)

Bleaymire and Shepherd, Solicitors of Penrith (records held at Carlisle Archives )

Bleaymire and Shepherd, Solicitors of Penrith (records held at Kendal Archives )

Brockbank and Helder, Solicitors of Whitehaven

Brockbank and Tyson, Solicitors of Whitehaven

Burnetts, Solicitors of Carlisle

Pauline L Butler, Solicitor of Carlisle

Thomas Butler and Son, Solicitors of Broughton-in-Furness

Carrick and Lee, Solicitors of Brampton

Cartmells, Solicitors of Brampton and Carlisle

Cartmell and Shepherd, Solicitors of Appleby

Dean and Hill, Solicitors of Carlisle

Denby and Co, Solicitors of Barrow-in-Furness

Dobinson, Turner and Hughes, Solicitors of Carlisle (additional title deeds available at DX 1134 )

Fearenside, Solicitor of Burton-in-Kendal

Fell, Kilvington and Co, Solicitors of Kirkby Stephen

R T Forrester, Solicitors of Barrow-in-Furness

Gatey and Heelis, Solicitors of Ambleside, Hawkshead and Windermere

H F T Gough and Co., Solicitors of Whitehaven

Grainger, King and Hynes, Solicitors of Penrith

Greenwood, Kyle and Goad, Solicitors of Kendal

Hague and Hague, Solicitors of Sedbergh (papers partially listed)

Hallam, Solicitors of Kirkby Stephen

Hart Jackson, Solicitors of Ulverston

Hart Jackson, Solicitors of Ulverston (material formerly at Lancashire Record Office)

Hayton Winkley, Solicitors of Windermere and Kendal (papers partially listed)

Heelis and Heelis, Solicitors of Appleby

Hodgsons, Solicitors of Carlisle

Hough, Halton and Soal, Solicitors of Carlisle

Howson and Mason, Solicitors of Workington

Kendall and Fisher, Solicitors of Ulverston

Iain Maci Livingston and Co, Solicitors of Ulverston

D J Mason and Co, Solicitors of Workington

David Mawson, Solicitor of Brampton - contact Carlisle Archives directly for details

Mellen and Co, Licensed Conveyancers of Barrow-in-Furness

Milne, Moser and Son, Solicitors of Kendal

Mounsey Bowman and Sutcliffe, Solicitors of Carlisle

Muckle, Son and Hall, Solicitors of Alston

N J Noble, Solicitor of Barrow-in-Furness

Oglethorpe and Broatch, Solicitors of Keswick

Paisley and Co, Solicitors of Workington

Pearson and Pearson, Solicitors of Kirkby Lonsdale

Poole Townsend, Solicitors of Barrow

Powell and Sykes, Solicitors of Kendal

Radcliffes and Co, Solicitors of London

Reed, Graham and Little, Solicitors of Penrith (records held at Carlisle Archives )

Reed, Graham and Little, Solicitors of Penrith (records held at Kendal Archives )

Rhodes and Gillman, Solicitors of Kendal

Rigg and Strong, Solicitors of Wigton

Satterthwaite and Swainson, Solicitors of Lancaster

Saul and Lightfoot, Solicitors of Carlisle

Scott Duff and Company, Solicitors of Penrith

Thomson and Wilson, Solicitors of Kendal

Thomson, Hayton Winkley, Solicitors of Kendal

Townsend, Solicitors of Barrow-in-Furness

Waugh and Musgrave, Solicitors of Cockermouth

Wright, Brown and Strong, Solicitors of Carlisle