The City was at that time a very different place but the development of Union Street had commenced and the making newspaper of the day; made reference to a proposed Parliament Bill containing alterations to the Slave Trade and a bill relating to the proposed Aberdeenshire canal. It also made reference to many things we can relate to today including adverts for Road Contractors to “form and make out …a new HIGH ROAD leading from the Bridge of Dee to …the Town of STONEHAVEN”, the Sale of Houses in George Street, and for the position of “Usher” to teach the elements of the Latin Language at the Grammar School. It also referred to a national lottery which boasted a prize of £10,000.
Mr Jopp later entered into partnership with his son Alexander, who following in his footsteps became clerk and manager of Aberdeenshire Canal Company, a Director of the respected North of Scotland Bank (a bank which was later to merge with the Clydesdale Bank) and a Director of the innovative Great North of Scotland Railway Company.
The Jopps are well remembered by the firm itself but the Jopps are also remembered by the City since they lent their name first to Jopp’s Court and now Jopp’s Lane, a small street nestling behind the City’s George Street not far from the location of the first offices.
The Duffus family saw four sons assumed as partners in the firm. The last, Alexander Duffus, joined Wilsone & Duffus as an apprentice in 1950 and served with the firm until March 1999 when ill health forced his retirement. Over his life Mr Duffus saw many changes in the firm. During the war he had witnessed his father doubling as an Air Raid Patrol Controller whist he maintained his law firm. When the sirens blared he watched as people were escorted safety in the basements of Golden Square. He also watched his father looking after the needs of these to people in a professional capacity. Alexander Duffus held position as Director.
Sadly he died in October 1999.
The current partners intend to continue the traditions and to provide a quality service that their predecessors would have been proud of.
The square was originally constructed around 1810 to 1820 and housed a well which was known as the “Hammerman’s Well”. It was regarded as a desirable residence for respected members of the community including doctors and solicitors with servants occupying basement premises. Fittingly the Feu Charter of Number 7 shows that the property was first purchased by an Advocate for use as a dwelling house.
Conjuring up the original atmosphere of the square “Walking the Mat” refers to the delivery boys who tip-toed down basement stairs to pay their first call at the kitchens of the stately granite town houses, carrying hooped baskets covered with white cloth and to the servants wearing freshly laundered aprons who gave them a piece of fruit or shortbread.
Another local book “Aberdeen an illustrated Architectural Guide” gives special mention to number 7 describing the offices by reference to its stylish and remodelled entrance.
The square itself was from the early days perceived as “an Apple of Gold in a Basket of Silver”, the crown or centre piece in what was perceived as glittering surroundings with Ruby Place, Silver Street and North Silver Street close at hand. The Square was soon to become an up-market centre of business.
Wilsone & Duffus moved to Golden Square in 1903 and this has been their main place of business since. Over the years the increase in traffic and car parking have masked some of the square’s architectural finery but the re-siting of the statute of the Duke of Gordon in 1953, (the first granite statute in Scotland) in the centre of the square and more recently, the reintroduction of iron railings, landscaping and wrought iron light posts with hanging flower baskets have restored the Square’s earlier grand appearance.
The opening of the first Dyce branch largely coincided with the advent of the Government’s Right to Buy scheme and we handled many Council House purchases. In initial years the office acted as an agency for the Bristol & West Building Society and later the Scottish Building Society (these arrangement continuing up until the end of May 2020).
A wide range of legal matters has been dealt with by the Dyce Office over the years with Estate Agency displays proving of benefit to purchasers and sellers who enjoy the advantage of local high street display facilities.
The office in Rosemount opened in 1990. Formerly a Newsagents shop it now carries amongst other publications and in keeping with its former purpose the weekly edition of Aberdeen Solicitors Property Centre newspaper. This office initially acted as an additional outlet for legal services, possessing large shop display windows on the corner of Watson Street and also fronting Rosemount Place and these were filled with properties for sale throughout the northeast. Although our sales department transferred to newly opened offices in Chapel Street in 2000 this coincided with a boom in the buy to let market and the rental market, and these premises were transformed into a bustling base for our developing leasing department benefitting from a location frequented by many looking for rental properties.
All the current partners believe in the local community and as part of the celebrations they also organised a Charity Ball and lottery with profits of around �5,000 being donated to VSA.
Our flagship premises at 14 Chapel Street in the heart of the City just off Union Street next to Nova and in close proximity to Aberdeen Solicitors’ Property Centre (which was at that stage abuzz with people). opened in 2000, in the form of Hi-Tech Property and Mortgage shop, featured our new branding, We embraced technology employing customer browser pc, flat screen display screens and a state of the art 42” a plasma screen at an extravagant cost of £5,000 and providing Virtual Reality tours of some of our properties. An additional Independent Financial Consultants was recruited and on hand to source the best mortgage deals.
In 2003 we celebrated 100 years of our move to Golden Square. By this time our new branding was attracting new business but our roots and traditional goals remained the same. The changes we had made in 2000 have stood us in good stead for the next 20 years.
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