History

Plymouth Law Society was established in 1815 and in this time we have worked with law firms, large and small, striving to support them and provide a collective voice, whilst also protecting public interest at all times. Read more about our history HERE

In recent years we have actively campaigned for Wi-Fi on trains in the South West and also publicly voiced concerns on the changes to legal aid and access to justice. Most recently we have donated a copy of the children’s book inspired by Lady Hale’s journey to President of the Supreme Court, the most senior judicial position in England and Wales, to every Primary school in Plymouth and the surrounding areas. 

There has been a great variety of presidents and vice presidents over these 200 years.

List of past Presidents

2022 – Craig Moore
2021 – James Walsh
2020 – James Walsh
2019 – Rachel Shoheth
2018 – Rhodri Davey
2017 – Sue Williams
2016 – Martin Weeks
2015 – Charles Parry
2014 – Rob Howard
2013 – Phil Thorneycroft
2012 – Steve Hudson
2011 – Jonathan Madge
2010 – Tracey Baker
2009 – Nicholas Roper
2008 – Mr M. Hasler
2007 – Ms N Duncan
2006 – N. Lyons
2005 – Mrs H. Davies
2004 – G. R. J. Walker
2003 – Mrs J. Hill
2002 – D. Beadel
2001 – Mrs D.J. Ward
2000 – J. G. Wyatt
1999 – G.P.T Yates
1998 – A.L. Strowger
1997 – P.L. Woods
1996 – N.A. Theyer
1995 –  J. Bennett
1994 – Mrs J.S.S Lister
1993 – N.G. Major
1992 – P.E. Stevens
1991 – J.H. Trafford
1990 – W.H. Davey
1989 – R.H. Midgley
1988 – D.J.L Gabitass
1987 – T.E.J Savery
1986 – J.A Holland
1985 – M.F. Barton
1984 – D.H.B Bishop
1983 – D.C Brain
1982 – T.M.N Bartlett
1981 – F.B. Prout
1980 – E.W. Huddart
1979 – R.E. Jackson
1978 – C.E.G. Cocks
1977 – A.G. Bellingham
1976 – W.I. Thompson
1975 – H.R. Hayden
1974 – H. Peck
1973 – G. C Wills
1972 – H.J.H Collings
1971 – D.I. Dobell
1970 – N.A.M Sitters
1969 – H.H.A Harrison
1968 – The Lord foot
1967 –  R.H. Sweet
1966 – L.B. Spear
1965 – G.R. Woollcombe
1964 – J.F. Knape
1963 – R.C.F. Serpell
1962 – A.F Leest
1961 – Arthur Goldberg
1960 – J. Barker
1959 – W.H. Maddock
1958 – A.H Rendle
1957 – J.S. Yeo
1956 – K.C. Brian
1955 – A.E Stedman
1954 – David F. Nash
1953 – Ernest Vosper
1952 – Edwin Broad

1951 – John Eliott
1950 – T.R. McCready
1949 – The Rt Hon Isaac Foot
1948 – C.B. Spencer
1947 – W. E. J Major
1946 – W.E Blakeny
1945 – Albert Gard
1944 – John Woolland
1943 – H.E. Turner
1942 – C.R. Serpell
1941 – D.M. Yonge
1940 – R. Mc Donald
1939 – Humphrey Woollcombe
1938 – Jone Bone
1937 – Sir William Munday
1936 – E.S. Dobell
1935 – Ernest Howard
1934 – H. Lawrence Spear
1933 – P.S. Snell
1932 – P.S. Snell
1931 – E.F. Anthony
1930 – S. Charlie Davis
1929 – F.E. Bowden
1928 – Alfred Gard
1927 – W.L. Munday
1926 – O. Wilcocks
1925 – B.H. Whiteford
1924 – K.E. Peck
1923 – J.A. Pearce
1922 – Eric R. Ward
1921 – G.N. Dickinson
1920 – W.H.T Dawe
1919 – Coryndon Matthews
1918 – R. Robinson Rob
1917 – E.A Bennet
1916 – J.P. Goldsmith
1915 – John Shelly
1914 – H. Penrose Prance
1913 – C.L. Croft
1912 – J.P. Dobell
1911 – K. E. Peck
1910 – James Y. Woollcombe
1909 – Richard B. Johns
1908 – Coryndon Matthews
1907 – Foster J. Bone
1906 – Harold Wolferstan
1905 – J.J.E. Venning
1904 – T.H. Geake
1903 – J.A. Hellard
1902 – J.H. Ellis
1901 – John Shelly
1900 – William Harrison
1899 – Thomas Wolferstan
1898 – J.P. Goldsmith
1897 – Walter Radcliffe
1896 – William J. Woollcombe
1895 – H. Penrose Prance
1894 – J.J.E Venning
1893 – J.J.E Venning
1892 – John Shelly
1891 – John Shelly
1890 – Francis Fitzroy
1889 – Francis Fitzroy
1888 – Francis Fitzroy
1887 – Charles T. Bewes
1886 – Charles T. Bewes
1885 – Charles T. Bewes
1884 – Charles T. Bewes
1883 – Charles T. Bewes

1882 – Charles T. Bewes
1881 – Charles T. Bewes
1880 – H.C. Fox
1879 – Hext Boger
1878 – G.R.O Holberton
1877 – Charles T. Bewes
1876 – Edward G. Bennett
1875 – Hamilton Whiteford
1874 – Glinn Pridham
1873 – John Shelly
1872 – J.W. Matthews
1871 – J. Brooking Rowe
1870 – Francis Fitzroy
1869 – Thomas Philips, Jnr
1868 – Gustavus Gidley
1867 – Samuel Carter
1866 – William Eastlake
1865 – Jonathan Luxmoore
1864 – F.W.P Cleverton
1863 – Robert Gard Edmonds
1862 – John Gard Edmonds
1861 – William Hughes
1860 – George S. Eastlake
1859 – George T Shortland
1858 – Robert Stephens
1857 – William Holberton
1856 – Nicholas Were
1855 – John Kelly
1854 – Willaim Marshall
1853 – Alfred Rooker
1852 – John Curgenven
1851 – Jno. Faithful Fortescu
1850 – J.b. Wilcocks
1849 – Henry Prideaux
1848 – John Kelly
1847 – Samuel Rowse
1846 – Robert E. Moore
1845 – Nicholas Lockyer
1844 – Francis F. Bulteel
1843 – G.N. Oxenham
1842 – Benjamin Parham
1841 – John Bayly
1840 – John Edmonds
1839 – J.N. Bennett
1838 – Charles C. Whiteford
1837 – George Pridham
1836 – Robert W. Corydon
1835 – Edward Prior
1834 – Herbert Mends Gibson
1833 – Richard J. Squire
1832 – Jonathan Luxmoore
1831 – Edward Jago
1830 – George S Baron
1829 – George Eastlake
1828 – Samuel Williams
1827 – John Moore
1826 – William Eastlake
1825 – William Gregg
1824 – Samuel Kelly
1823 – William Jacobson
1822 – Joseph Whiteford
1821 – Joseph Whiteford
1820 – George Coryndon
1819 – Joseph Pridham
1818 – John Subder
1817 – Geo Eastlake, Snr
1816 – Thomas Cleather
1815 – Henry Woollcombe