law firm merger since the year 2000”. The Goddard Association But, despite all the many of Europe high profile and celebrity cases handled by the firm over the NEWSLETTER years – John Profumo, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Michael ' Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones, %. 4%3 No. 96 – October 2010 3 ).4%2 '%. Michael Jackson – the one that it and its first Senior Partner will THEODORE GODDARD be mostly remembered for was Solicitor to Mrs Wallis Simpson the unprecedented central event I am grateful to Julie of Newbury for drawing to my attention of 1936. In his book Denys a book The Last Dance: 1936: the Year of Change by Denys Blakeway refers to Theodore Goddard as ʻa workaday solicitor, Blakeway, which mentions the role played by Theodore Goddard a bit-player quite out of his depth in the major event of that year: the abdication crisis. Brief in the unfolding dramaʼ. This references to his legal practice have twice before appeared in these judgement may be somewhat Newsletters, namely numbers 41 and 68, and it is perhaps time that harsh, but it is probably equally the a fuller account of the company was given. case that the solicitor came to wish The legal firm of Theodore that Wallis Simpson had never Goddard & Co was founded in instructed him! At a late stage 1902 in offices in Clementʼs Inn in the crisis it became necessary near the Law Courts in London – at Prime Minister Baldwinʼs by a young lawyer aged 24, John insistance – for Theodore to visit Theodore Goddard, pictured here his client in the south of France, in later life. Working hard as whither she had fled from England, a litigator on the London court to discuss her divorce and to circuit his reputation and practice ascertain whether she was prepared grew, and in 1917 he moved to new to give up Edward VIII for the sake offices in Sergeantʼs Inn nearby. A of the country and commonwealth. direct hit by a German bomber in Unfortunately he had never flown 1941 completely destroyed these before and, in addition, he had a premises together, unfortunately, weak heart; he therefore took his with most of the firmʼs records doctor, who happened to be then and clientsʼ papers, and the resident in a maternity hospital, company had to move to New together with his clerk. Putting Court immediately behind the on this aspect and to move offices two and three together, the press Law Courts. It was from here that once again, this time to St Martinʼs- came up with the story that he was John Theodore Goddard retired as le-Grand in the City. By the end accompanied by a gynaecologist Senior Partner in 1950, dying two of the 1980s there were over forty and an anaesthetist to determine years later. partners and more than 300 staff if Wallis was pregnant. In fact, The practice continued to and in 1990 a further move took Wallis was prepared to give develop, amalgamating with other place to 150 Aldersgate Street. Edward up, but by this time it was City firms in the 1950s, and in Finally, in 2003 as mentioned in too late; the king had already made 1963 became involved in a second Newsletter 68, the firm merged up his mind to abdicate. national crisis when the then Senior with the northern practice of One important question remains Partner was instructed by John Addleshaw Booth & Co to become to be asked: to which branch of the Profumo. By this time the firmʼs Addleshaw Goddard with offices Goddard tree does John Theodore company and commercial practice in Leeds and Manchester as well belong? If any member claims had expanded enormously, and in as London. The move has been him as a relative or knows the 1965 it was decided to concentrate described as “the most successful answer, please let me know. 1 WHOSE BLACK SHEEP? On Thursday 13 June 1867 William Goddard “a was committed for trial at the Borough Sessions. middle aged well dressed man, wearing a moustache, This was at the time when Newbury had its own was placed in the dock” of Newbury Borough Police police force. Superintendent George Deane put the court “on a charge of obtaining 20s 3d from the 16th case against the prisoner. “For two years the prisoner to 23rd May from Mr OʼBrien by false pretence – that had been on a wild career, he had been to too many false pretence being that Mrs Lawrence of Plough inns in the neighbourhood and had fleeced the owners Cottage, Marlborough, had authorised him to go to in the same way as in the present case.” the Three Tuns Hotel, and run up an account at her The Recorder said he “was very sorry to see a expense, pending his procuring a situation which she person in the prisonerʼs position, who originally had was looking out.” considerable means and could have supported himself At first the hotel keeper had been suspicious of with credit, placed at the bar on this charge. He must Williamʼs claim that Mrs Lawrence was going to be taught that he could not pursue this course with pay his bill, because William had previously stayed impunity, and it was his (the Recorderʼs) duty to pass under the same arrangement and Mr OʼBrien had had a mild sentence which would be a lesson and prevent difficulty in getting the money from Mrs Lawrence, the him coming here again.” The sentence was to three 68 year old widow of an Alderman of Marlborough. calendar months with hard labour. Prisoners sentenced However, William had been so plausible that he had at Newbury served their sentences in Reading Gaol. relented and let him stay. Serving a sentence in a Victorian prison could hardly After eight days had passed no sign of the money be called a mild sentence. A new Prisons Act passed supposed to be forthcoming from Mrs Lawrence had in 1865 was intended to make a prison sentence even arrived, so Mr OʼBrien wrote to Mrs Lawrenceʼs more unpleasant than previously. Prisoners had to solicitor, Mr Mecey of Thatcham, through whom on be silent; beds were hard boards; and they were a previous occasion money had been supplied. Mr employed for nine hours a day in summer and six Mecey reported that Mrs Lawrence denied promising in winter on repetitive employment such as walking to supply money for William Goddardʼs stay. Mr the treadmill, picking oakum (unravelling ropes) or OʼBrien confronted the prisoner and had said that cranking a handle in their cell for a stated number of he was going to send a telegram to Mrs Lawrence times each day. to discover the truth, and called to his ostler to go to One can hope that William did indeed learn his the Post Office. While he was doing this William lesson and reform, but as no age, nor place of residence, Goddard slipped out of the hotel and disappeared. A nor parentage is given in the newspaper reports in the reply to the telegram arrived, denying categorically Newbury Weekly News we cannot be certain who he that Mrs Lawrence had made any such arrangement. was, or to which branch of Goddards he belonged. The police were called, and William was eventually He was middle aged; thirties onward? Was smartly arrested at Inkpen, a nearby village, on Monday 3 dressed enough not to appear impecunious and had June by the local policeman there. connections with Marlborough. However a friend, At the Borough Police Court on Friday 7 June well versed in the intricacies of Wiltshire records, William made no reply when the charge was read found for me a list of the prisoners in Devizes Gaol in out to him. A summons had been issued for Mrs December 1867. On the list is William Goddard who Lawrence to attend court. However, instead her had faced two charges in court “Obtaining money by daughter, Miss Sarah Martha Lawrence, appeared. false pretences” and “Larceny before convicted of an She explained to the court that her mother was a very indictable …..” [word unreadable]. He had not been aged and infirm woman who could not be left on her tried on the first charge but had been found guilty of own and had not left her house for eighteen months. the second. The date of the trial was 31 December She had been quite unable to give William Goddard and this time he was sentenced to twelve months in the instructions which he claimed she had without prison. her carers knowing of it. A second Miss Lawrence, The 1871 census for Marlborough lists a William Elizabeth Ann, confirmed the statement made by her Goddard who might be the man we seek. He was sister. She explained that the family knew William aged forty, a former licensed victualler, and had been Goddard well, as Mr Elijah Lawrence, her deceased born in Ogbourne. His residence at the time of the father, had been executor to Williamʼs Goddardʼs census was Marlborough Union Workhouse. Had fatherʼs will. our William served his sentence, been thrown back The prisoner still said nothing to the charge and into the world penniless and maybe infirm after 2 harsh treatment in prison, and sought shelter in the SHAKEN BUT NOT INTERRED Workhouse? No one lived in that place unless they When news of the massive earthquake to hit were desperate. Christchurch on 4 September came through, we There is a baptism recorded at Ogbourne St George immediately thought of the Associationʼs New 27 March 1832 of a William son of John and Hannah Zealand Co-ordinator Julie and her brother Tony and Goddard.