Three longstanding clients came together at a celebratory Tees Valley Business Club event, to demonstrate how Jacksons’ 150-year history is intertwined with Teesside’s industrial heritage.
Representatives from PD Ports, The Skinningrove ‘Land of Iron’ museum and Teesside University were part of a panel discussion on how their own history was intertwined with Jacksons, as the law firm enjoyed the first of its 150-year celebrations at January’s Tees Valley Business Club meeting.
The event took place at Teesside University’s Digital Life Building and was hosted by Jane Reynolds MBE, director and chair of Tees Valley Business Club, Erica Turner, Jacksons’ head of legal and Amie Callan, the firm’s head of operations.
Introducing Grace Redpath, interim museum manager for Land of Iron at Skinningrove, Frans Calje, CEO of PD Ports and Teesside University’s Vice-Chancellor designate and Chief Executive, Professor Mark Simpson, who is due to take up the post in September, Jane said: “They represent three institutions linked with Jacksons here in the Tees Valley that have been here 100 to 150 years and beyond.
“The finding of iron in the Eston and Cleveland Hills brought on the development of our region, so we feel very honoured that we are around for a lot of these anniversaries.
“We are still here, still serving the community and I think it’s really important that we celebrate that.”
The three panellists spoke after Erica Turner took us back to what it was like to be an office worker in 1876, when people were working by candlelight or gaslight, with ink wells and blotting paper – and there was no such thing as open plan working.
“People sat alone at heavy oak desks – there was none of this shared desk provision like we are used to now,” Erica said.
“We are older than the ball point pen – the first patent for that was issued in October 1888, so we were using fountain pens and quills and parchment paper – and we didn’t come across the first commercial typewriter until the 1870s.
“We are older than the Kodak camera, which was invented in 1888 – and we didn’t see a cash register until 1880.
“The photocopier was even later, arriving in 1938.”
Erica also spoke of some notable inventions in 1876, including Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, Brahms’ First Symphony and The Medical Act of 1876, allowing women to register for medical qualifications for the first time.
“The first successful telephone call was made in 1876, stating, ‘Mr Watson, come here. I want to see you’,” Erica said.
“1876 was also the year when company Dorman Long, steel maker and construction engineer, started transforming the world. They went on to build and be involved in the Tyne Bridge, Newport Bridge and Sydney Harbour Bridge – so Teesside as a region did actually build the world from 1876.”
“We also share our foundation year with that of Middlesbrough Football Club.”
Speaking specifically about the history of Jacksons, Erica told how Gilbert B Jackson came to Teesside and formed Jacksons at 42 albert Road in Middlesbrough – the former Natwest Bank building now known as Barracuda pub.
At this time, Middlesbrough was in its infancy.
Francis Jackson, Gilbert’s brother also joined the firm and they became Jackson and Jackson.
Later, Philip H Monk joined the firm as an assistant solicitor and they moved to 13 Queen Square.
In 1906, Monk became a partner and the firm was renamed Jacksons and Monk. When Herbert Rowe joined the firm, they were renamed Jacksons Monk and Rowe.
There was even a song named after the firm by Elvis Costello, featuring the Brodsky Quartet, who originate in Middlesbrough!
In 1931, Gilbert Jackson retired and in the late 1930s and early 1940s, many solicitors were called up for war.
“Notwithstanding the War, the firm grew, and went on to acquire 15 Queen Square, as well as 7, 9 and 11, due to its expansion plans,” Erica said.
“In 1989, the name Jacksons was born, when Jacksons Monk and Rowe merged with Stockton firm Cohen Jackson.
“Even in its early days, the firm was involved with property sales and purchases and the firm was always at the heart of the community.”
Gilbert Jackson was part of the Loftus Local Board in 1878 and was a supporter of further education.
Erica explained: “Jacksons had carried out some wills and trust work for Joseph Constantine, who later set up Constantine College – and this is how Teesside University was born.
“This demonstrates the lasting client relationships and partnerships Jacksons has formed over the years, as the firm still works with Teesside University to this day.”
In 1916, Constantine offered £40,000 to build a college and this was formalised by Jacksons.
Gilbert advised at various meetings, including at the Board of Education and Westminster.
Constantine wanted the college to be a metallurgy and shipbuilding college, but Gilbert was one of a number of people who put forward the argument for the college to be used for a wider range of educational purposes reflecting the business and employment opportunities in the region.
The college opened in 1930 and became Teesside Polytechnic in 1969 and the University of Teesside in 1992.
“Jacksons is still advising the University to this day, as well as providing opportunities for students,” said Erica.
“We have also acted in key moments of Teesside’s industrial history, like the privatisation of Teesport.”
Jacksons came into being less than 30 years after the first commercial Ironstone mine in the region was set up at Skinningrove in 1848. This is now the site of the Land of Iron museum.
The Ironstone Mining industry grew until there were 82 mines in Cleveland.
In recent years, Jacksons has been involved in supporting the Land of Iron at Skinningrove to receive grant funding, to keep the museum going for future generations, as Grace Redpath explained.
“The museum was established in the 1980s, after the industry started to decline in the 1950s,” said Grace, who brought in a rock containing iron as one of the artefacts from the museum.
“We realised the industry was going to be lost and started collecting tangible things.
“Our connection with Jacksons is that we’ve had quite a lot of investment in the last decade, such as Lottery Heritage funding, which has seen the museum go from strength to strength.
“We are constantly evolving and based on a former iron and steel mine, with nooks and crannies to explore.”
Jacksons has been helping with the land transfer to help open up some of the land that previously hasn’t been used.
“This has enabled the museum to provide guided tours where people see through the eyes of an ironstone miner,” said Grace.
Frans Calje, CEO of PD Ports, came to Teesside nearly 20 years ago “for a job I thought was going to last six years!”
But, as he found, once you’re in Teesside, you can’t get out!
“Now I am an adopted Teessider!” he told the dozens of guests at the Tees Valley Business Club’s January meeting.
Speaking of the history of Teesport, Frans pointed to Grace’s rock artefact, saying: “Teesport owes its existence to that rock and the development of the iron and steel industry in the 1850s.
“We are one of the only organisations still in our original offices at Queen’s Square, where we were neighbours with Jacksons from 1899.
“When you are building the world with all this iron, you need transportation.”
Frans relayed an embellished story speaking of how John Vaughan, a metallurgical engineer was “walking his dog on Eston Hills in the first half of the 19th century” when he kicked a stone.
He had discovered ironstone!
Then he had a lightbulb moment.
“We have got iron ore, a shipping port and limestone,” said Frans.
“He put it all together and said ‘we can make steel!’”
Frans added John and Henry Bolckow “transformed what they had found into the engine room of the world”.
“The town was built really quickly for labourers to work in an ever -steelworks – the engine room of the world,” Frans said, adding lots of Irish and Welsh labourers came and settled in Middlesbrough.
“Of course, they needed a competent port authority to build the logistics and the infrastructure so Teesport came into existence in 1852.”
Johnn Vaughan and Henry Bolckow realised a vision to build the steelworks that we know so much about today.
In 1876, Dorman Long also established its steelmaking and famous bridge-building company, again requiring an efficient port infrastructure.
When he came across a similar looking bridge to the Tyne in Zimbabwe, it was no surprise to Frans that the steel of this too bore the name of Dorman Long!
Frans said: “From the 1850s, the port is there and people are flocking to the area to find work in an ever-growing steel industry.
“They now need training to work in the industry or at the ports, so we need a training college – and that’s where we come to Mark to pick up the final phase of the evening’s story!”
Professor Mark Simpson spoke of Joseph Constantine as “the start of our heritage” and picked up the story Erica started about how Gilbert Jackson gave sage advice to Constantine, who was very keen the college was a technical college focused on the industries emerging from Teesside.
Jackson advised Constantine that the college should have a wider curriculum and provide education for all.
Since then, Professor Simpson said the college – and later polytechnic and University – has “always been keen to work more closely” with all industries serving and served by Teesside.
“Our School of Social Science and Law includes a law school,” he said.
“This, like many other areas of the University, provides students with the skills they need to provide a service to members of the public.
“When there was a significant reduction in legal aid support, the University set up a law clinic and we worked with Nigel Kidwell who used to work at Jacksons, on this.
“The law clinic has continued to expand and build confidence and skills among the students who practice within it.”
In this way, Jacksons and other local employers have helped the University in terms of how it designs the curriculum.
“The University doesn’t just serve business it creates business and industry,” said Mark.
“We have a dual role as an anchor institution – serving communities and being an important beacon of aspiration and hope.
“The best way to break down barriers is to work in partnership and collaboration, in the way we have worked with employers like Jacksons.”
Following on from the panel discussion, Amie Callan took to the stage and declared “the best is yet to come” after presenting an exciting future for Jacksons.
She explained how 2025 had been a landmark year for Jacksons, which saw it achieve 19% growth in revenue and profitability.
Amie added: “Daniel Flounders came in to head up our Corporate and Commercial team and within operations and compliance we have welcomed Kristen McQueen, who has made a significant input to the team.
“We have also completed a very bold rebrand and our new identity refocused who we have always been – people-focused, moving forward, evolving and adapting, while always taking care.
“Taking care of the future, we are going to look after our clients throughout their whole journey.”
Amie described Jacksons as being made up of “pragmatic experts” who are not there to give you lots of legal jargon, but instead break it down in terms of what you need to know.
“We are going to adapt proactively to a continuously changing environment, always evolving and showing that we are innovative,” Amie said.
“We are looking at AI technology which is industry-leading and advanced to streamline certain processes within the business.
“We want to provide a customer-centric experience and show we are here for our clients.”
Amie said it is paramount to ensure clients come first and that Jacksons gives them a people-first approach, taking care of all their needs.
“We will continue to work closely with local partners for mutual benefit and growth in the region.
“We are proud that we are now a regional business and we love to support local – and from the conversations we have had today, we should all be really proud of where we are and where we work – and all the different businesses in the area.”
Naturally, Jacksons has a focus on continuing to grow its revenue and profit, but most importantly, it is dedicated to its brand values, which centre around people and community.
“We will ask team members, where do we want to be in the next two years, five years, and expand our regional offering,” said Amie.
“For example, dispute resolution has started to build teams within teams, such as insolvency and debt recovery, and we are about to embrace intellectual property.
“At the heart of Jacksons is our people. Without those people, we wouldn’t be where we are today and we won’t be where we need to be in the next 150 years without them.”
Jacksons recent structural change, with Amie as head of operations and Erica as head of legal is something of a break from tradition.
However, the pair work very closely together, “with definite and forward-looking strategic plans for finding blue ocean opportunities”.
The pair also already have one eye on appointing their successors.
“We will engage, empower and develop the best talent and know that we have opportunities within the business,” said Amie.
“There are lots of rising stars within Jacksons and we want to encourage them to flourish.
“We want to support them to achieve their goals and ambitions.
“In terms of succession planning, we will be looking at future leaders of Jacksons – who are the next Amie and Erica?”
Jacksons will also continue to work very closely with organisations like the High tide Foundation and POW (Power of Women).
“We strongly feel it’s our duty as a business to help bring through and support the next generation of talent, to ensure the continuity of all our businesses,” Amie said.
“We are going to engage with students to let them know about the fantastic career opportunities in our region and on their doorstep, for many decades to come.”
