Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The building which housed the law office of Hall, Gillespie was originally a surveyor's office, built in 1855 by Thomas J. Dennehy on land that he had leased from Rev. Mark Burnham. Two years later, on June 27, 1857, Robert Dennistoun leased the property and building from Rev. Burnham and started a law practice. When Robert was appointed Judge of the County Court, his son, James F. Dennistoun, practiced alone until he formed a partnership called Dennistoun, Fairbairn and Cassels. When Fairbairn was elected to the Legislative Assembly, James Dennistoun and Cassels ran the law office until Cassels became the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada. In 1873 James Dennistoun's brother, Robert Hamilton Dennistoun, and E.H.D. Hall formed the firm of Dennistoun Bros. and Hall. In 1883 James retired and the partnership of Dennistoun Bros. and Hall was dissolved. This left Robert H. Dennistoun practicing law in the original building, while E.H.D. Hall went to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. When Robert H. Dennistoun died his widow asked Hall to return and take over the law practice. He took over in 1884 and practiced alone until 1887 when L.M. Hayes joined the firm. The firm was known as Messrs. Hall and Hayes until 1909 when B.D. Hall joined and it became known as Hall, Hayes and Hall. Also in 1909, a fire broke out in the offices and a number of ledgers were damaged but were able to be copied from. After this fire, a vault, two additional rooms, and an apartment over the office, were added to the building. A number of lawyers joined and left the firm as the years went by. E.H.D. Hall died in 1939 at the age of 89. B.D. Hall remained with the firm and had a succession of different partners. In 1955 J.A. Gillespie joined the firm and it became known as Hall and Gillespie. The firm was wound down, disposed of and terminated in 1993 when John A. Gillespie, the surviving partner, decided to close the practice. The practice remained, until its dissolution, in the original building where it had begun. (Taken from: 94-001-71-3.)