Doughtys W.S. - a company history

Doughtys W.S. - a company history Records show that there has been a legal firm in Ayton housed in or around its current premises from 1851. Then Thomas Bowhill, Writer in Eyemouth purchased the area of ground, where he erected a dwellinghouse and offices. This is know as The Royal Bank of Scotland, bank house and is home to Doughtys' offices. Thomas Bowhill was also the Bank Agent in those days for the Commercial Bank of Scotland, both in Eyemouth and in Ayton. Part of the house was converted into a Bank and the lawyer's office (or Writer's office) was moved into what was the Stable Block.

In 1873 that whole area was conveyed by the Trustees of the deceased Thomas Bowhill, described as "sometime Writer in Ayton and Agent at Ayton for the Commercial Bank of Scotland" to the Commercial Bank of Scotland for the princely sum of £2,200. That deed was witnessed by James Thomas Simpson Doughty, Writer of Ayton, then 28 years old. We can only assume that the original Mr. Doughty joined the firm as an office junior and worked his way up until he finally became the Senior Partner at that time.

We know that the firm previously been called Bowhill & Doughty Following on the death of Mr. Bowhill, the firm became known as Jas. T.S. Doughty & Co. Jas. T.S. Doughty was well known in and around the community of Ayton.

His name appears in records of public meetings as being a person of standing, as the local solicitor was in those days. He married twice, his first wife dying shortly after giving birth to a daughter, but his eldest son Thomas Purves Doughy survived and followed his father into the legal practice. The second marriage produced several children, namely Allan Doughty, who was also a solicitor and Senior Partner at Romanes & Rankin in Lauder. Another son was a Vet in Alnwick and a daughter, Jane Doughty, married Arthur Shed, Partner in the legal firm with Tom Doughty. It was sometime during the stewardship of Thomas Purves Doughty that the bank agency was taken away from the firm and a full blown Bank was established both in Eyemouth and Ayton. It should be noted that the Doughtys were bank agents for both Eyemouth and Ayton. Grahame Stoddart, one of three Stoddart brothers, whose father was in charge of the firm of John Stoddart (Berwick) Limited at the Golden Square at High Street at Berwick. The Stoddarts were well known grocers, wine merchants, public bar owners and caterers. They owned several shops, namely in Ayton and in Greenlaw where the first grocers shop of that name was opened. The eldest son Jack Stoddart was destined to go into the family business, Grahame Stoddart, who all his life had wanted to be a doctor, was apprenticed to Thomas (Tom Doughty) or T.P., as he was known at the age of 16 in 19 . The youngest son Willie started off in the Royal Bank at Eyemouth before he was called up for the Second World War. Grahame Stoddart was related to T.P. in that T.P's wife Harriet Graham was a sister of Grahame Stoddart's mother Euphemia Graham. Grahame served his apprenticeship in that office and eventually progressed to becoming a lawyer by taking the Law Society of Scotland's exams and attending Edinburgh University. He served his apprenticeship at Tods Murray & Jamieson (now Tods Murray) in Edinburgh and then came back to Jas. T.S. Doughty & Co some time in the 1930's. He served with the Northumberland Fusiliers, but was invalided out because of health reasons. He returned to work at the firm during the day, working in the family business in Berwick in the evenings. His father died suddenly in 1943.

During this time, the firm was run by T.P. Doughty and Arthur Shed. T.P. Doughty died childless aged 86 in 1962 and only at that point was Grahame Stoddart taken in as a Partner by Arthur Shed. He was a very clever man however, and extremely good with his hands. Clients recall many of Mr. Shed's wooden puzzles etc. that he would show to them in the office. Though he had been stone deaf for many years, it was claimed that you could hear Mr. Shed go down the street to the office because he always had a walking stick, which tapped heavily on the pavement. Arthur Shed died in 1972 aged 92, his wife Jane died in 1972.

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Please don't hesitate to contact us:

Doughtys W.S.
Solicitors & Estate Agents

Ayton
Berwickshire
TD14 5QH

Tel: 01890 781209
Fax: 01890 781601
enquiries@doughtys.co.uk