HISTORY OF THE FIRM

Mercers has been established in Henley-on-Thames for over 175 years. The Practice was set up by an attorney, Nicholas Mercer in 1827, ten years before Queen Victoria’s accession. This was only two years after the incorporation of “The Society of Attorneys, Solicitors, Proctors and others not being Barristers, practising in the Courts of Law and Equity in the United Kingdom”. 

Little is known about the Practice at that time but it is assumed that it would have been a general practice, probably with Nicholas Mercer advising on all aspects of the law – life was so much simpler then!

Nicholas Mercer is listed in the Law List under Country Attorneys throughout the period 1830 to 1852.

Records show that William Mercer joined his father, Nicholas, in practice in Henley-on-Thames from about 1853 with William being listed as a Country Attorney in Henley-on-Thames from that date. In 1870, Nicholas remains listed as a Country Attorney and has the added distinction of being County Court Registrar. It is believed that this must have been Henley County Court since the firm is lucky to hold what is probably the only copy now in existence of the County Court Practice the front page of which is stamped Henley County Court in gold leaf. Nicholas Mercer of Henley is listed as Clerk of the Guards in 1890 but this cannot have been the original Nicholas who would then have been aged over 80.

Harry Rowsell Blaker was admitted as a Solicitor in 1880, practising in London. He joined William Mercer and William’s then partner Ernest Oldham in 1892. The firm then practised as Mercer Oldham & Blaker. Mercers hold a copy of an agreement for the sale of Ernest Oldham’s share in the Practice to Harry Blaker dated 1898. The name of the firm was changed to Mercer & Blaker in 1902 and it is a name many of the firm’s long established family clients will recall.

In 1920, William Mercer and Harry Blaker were joined by Harry’s father, Harry Campbell Blaker, a London Solicitor, and shortly after this William Mercer must have retired. Harry Blaker was clearly determined to spread his wings because in 1918 he also joined a Reading Practice although it is not known how long he was in partnership there. Probably not too long because Harry then went into partnership with a Mr Master practising, until the war, as E T Master & Blaker in Pall Mall in London.

In 1929, Harry’s son Guy was admitted as a Solicitor and he joined his father in the Henley Practice in the New Street office where he became very well known in the town. This is the New Street office we occupy today. In 1934/1935, Harry Blaker became president of the Law Society for the year. Harry retired in 1948 and for the next 15 years his son Guy was the firm’s sole practitioner, assisted ably and loyally by the three managing clerks – Messrs Laird, Ilott and Jemmett – whom he had inherited from his father.

Guy Blaker was joined by Martin Riley in 1963 and, for a time, Philip Millest. Following Guy Blaker’s death in 1969 the practices of Mercer & Blaker and Hedges & Son of Wallingford merged. They were two like-minded firms and the name of the firm was then changed to Hedges & Mercer. Unfortunately, with the expansion of the Henley-on-Thames office and with technology as we have it today, not in place at that time, it was difficult to manage expansion and both practices de-merged on 30th June 1977 which incidentally was the 150th anniversary of the first reference to Mercers Practice in Henley-on-Thames. Mercers has continued to practice at its office at 50 New Street in Henley-on-Thames since then and the firm now has two additional offices in Bell Street.