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Seafaring accountants plot a new course

A NORTH East firm of chartered accountants has marked its 125th anniversary by rebranding and making some major appointments at the helm.

Howarth Clark Whitehill (North East) LLP, of Hartlepool, has become Waltons Clark Whitehill, with the appointments of Heather O’Driscoll as managing partner and Chris Davey as senior partner to help to drive the firm forward.

Ms O’Driscoll said: “The firm has undergone a lot of changes in its 125 years, but it was W T Walton & Son when it was founded, so we wanted to acknowledge that part of our history here in Hartlepool with the new name.

“From a broadly shipping-related client base, through industries relating to coal mining, to a much wider range of customers in the modern day, the firm has often reflected the changing economic face of the area.

The firm was founded as W T Walton & Son, by William Thomas Walton, in Hartlepool, in 1885. W T Walton was a seagoing captain for Christopher Furness, later Lord Furness, and the early years of the firm focussed heavily on the shipping industry, a major part of the area’s economy at that time.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .