It was in 1891 that Edward Booth Wannop, then aged 32 opened our former office at 12 North Pallant, Chichester.
He was the son of Canon Thomas Nicholson Wannop. He purchased the premises in North Pallant in 1893 and at the same time opened offices in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, travelling between the offices either on horseback or by horse and trap. He married in July 1895 the daughter of a local doctor and they had a son Edward Keith Bevan Wannop, who subsequently became a Partner in the Firm.
In the Chichester Office E.B. Wannop employed an office boy of fourteen called David Henry Falconer, who subsequently became a Solicitor in 1917 and became second Partner in the Firm in 1919. A glance at the records show that from the beginning E.B. Wannop appeared in the local Petty Session Courts, a tradition which has been followed through by subsequent Partners up to the present day.
In 1923 E.B. Wannop introduced his son Keith as a Partner and in 1934 David Falconer's son Stanley became the fourth Partner. During the 30's and 40's the Firm continued to expand, acting for some large estate owners from time to time and for landed gentry. The decade of the 40's was not so happy and were it not for Eric Allen who joined the Firm in 1947 on his return from a prisoner of war camp, and his hard work and single-mindedness, the loyalty of Clients and the dedication of our staff, the Firm may not have continued.
The Firm over the years has continued to grow; it has widened its Client base and as times have changed, has improved the services given to the public by increasing specialisation by the Partners and staff. In 1985 the Firm moved from 12 North Pallant to South Pallant House. The present Firm is the result of a merger between Wannop & Falconer and Fox Emmerson Keartland on January 1 1997 and further mergers with Brookes & Co. and Rogers & Co. on 1st April 2007.
The firm now employees 80 staff in specialised departments providing advice and offering legal services to the business community and private clients.