History of the Firm The firm was founded over 250 years ago, on 11th July 1754, by William Burnett, who was related to the Burnetts of Leys (of Crathes Castle, Banchory), and was the younger brother of Dr Samuel Johnson's friend Lord Monboddo. He went to Aberdeen University in 1746, the year of Culloden, and graduated in 1750. At that time the population of Aberdeen was about 10,000. He was a lawyer for 57 years, and for most of them was Procurator Fiscal for Aberdeenshire, and County Clerk. He died in 1811, to be succeeded as senior partner and as County Clerk by his sixth son Thomas Burnett, who had joined his father in 1796. Thomas was a lawyer for 58 years, and died in 1854, 100 years after his father started the business. Thomas in turn was followed by his son Newell Burnett, who had joined his father in 1825; but Newell was a bachelor all his days. On his father's death in 1854 he assumed John Reid as a partner, thus giving the firm its present name. Newell was a lawyer for 53 years, and died in 1878. John Reid then appointed two apprentices who became his partners in 1886: his nephew John Reid Dean and W J Woodman-Smith. John Reid, a bachelor like Newell Burnett before him, was a lawyer for 38 years, and died in 1892. W J Woodman-Smith died in 1914, but John Reid Dean remained senior partner of the firm until his death at the age of 83 in 1942, after 56 years as a partner. In 1932 he assumed Charlie Brown as a partner, and Charlie Brown in turn was senior partner from 1942 to 1976, when he became a consultant and was succeeded by David Levie. David retired as senior partner at the end of 1996, to be succeeded by our current senior partner, Alastair Robertson. The firm's first offices were in Belmont Street, and were moved in 1854 to 20 King Street, where the firm remained until its move to 12 Golden Square in 1905. In 1979 the firm amalgamated with the firm of Morice and Wilson, itself a long-established firm which traced its history back to 1764, and with the firm of W Kirkwood and Smith, a firm established in Dee Street in 1933. As a result of the amalgamation the firm moved into Morice and Wilson's premises at 15 Golden Square, and No.12 became the offices of The Royal Bank. It can be seen that the Burnetts held sway for 124 years from 1754 to 1878, and the Reids, with an overlap, for 88 years from 1854 to 1942. In over 250 years the firm has had only eight senior partners, the average term being nearly 35 years. 07-Nov-03 @ 14:08