From Bonnie Prince Charlie to Prince Charles

The Oldest Firm in Glasgow

The present firm of Mitchells Roberton came into being on 1st January 1985 through the merger of two firms, Mitchells Johnston Hill and Hoggan on the one hand and Mackenzie Roberton & Co. on the other.  Mitchells Johnston Hill and Hoggan itself was the creature of a merger when the firms Mitchells Johnston & Co. and Hill & Hoggan combined on 1st January 1972.

Both Mitchells Johnston & Co. and Hill & Hoggan, despite a number of changes of names over the years, can trace their origins at least as far back as the 1740s, the time of the Second Jacobite Rebellion.  The former firm traces its origin to Thomas Grahame and the latter to James Hill, both of whom were in practice during that decade.  These men were in fact brothers in law, having married daughters of John Robertson, himself one of the leading lawyers in Glasgow at the beginning of the eighteenth century.  John Robertson had no sons and it is accepted that much of his practice transmitted to his two sons in law.

Going back even further in time, John Robertson had been in practice with his father Robert who was admitted as a member of the Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow in 1686.  The Robertsons were related to the famous Glasgow family of Hutcheson, who founded Hutchesons' Hospital and Hutchesons' Grammar School.  Even to this day Mitchells Roberton continues to be associated with these two institutions.

The firm's history is touched by the First Jacobite Rebellion as well as the Second. In 1715 John Robertson is noted in the records of the city as being the lawyer who was sent to Stirling by the Town Council to report on the progress of the rebels.

Partners from the respective firms have been active in the business and legal affairs of the city for nearly three centuries.  Perhaps the most prominent public figure was Robert Grahame, who had the unique distinction of becoming the first elected Lord Provost of Glasgow in 1833 after his retiral from the firm, which was then known as Grahame and Mitchell.

Rather in the manner of Oxford colleges, there used to be a friendly rivalry between the firms of Mitchells Johnston & Co. on the one hand and Hill & Hoggan on the other as to which was in fact the oldest firm in Glasgow.  That problem was definitively resolved with the amalgamation of the two firms in 1972.

While perhaps not so venerable as the other two, the third branch of the family, Mackenzie Roberton & Co. is no young upstart either.  It was founded on 1st July 1896 by the amalgamation of the two firms of Roberton, Low, Roberton & Cross and Mackenzie, Gardner & Alexander. The former firm was founded prior to 1800 by Nathaniel Stevenson. The latter firm can trace its history to 1803.

More recently Mitchells Roberton has welcomed two more additions to the family. In 2007 we merged with Faulds Gibson Kennedy, a reputable city centre firm who also boasted a proud history. In 2008, following the successful merger with Faulds Gibson Kennedy we also acquired the business of Sutherlands Solicitors in Bearsden. More recently at the start of 2011, we took on the business of John J Smith & Co solicitors in Clydebank. These acquisitions has further increased our client base and ensures that our ethos is working as true now as it was all the way back in 1740.