About Us
Widely recognised and respected throughout the Midlands, we are an independent accountancy practice with over 100 years’ professional experience spanning the complete spectrum of business and personal accounting.
Honest, diligent and ambitious, we are passionate about our clients’ businesses and constantly strive to improve our service by every means that technology and industry can offer us.
History
We were founded in the early 1900’s…
Edwards Chartered Accountants was founded towards the end of Queen Victoria’s reign by Walter John Edwards, and our first office was opened on Edmund Street in Birmingham.
Soon after, a sub office was opened by Walter on Bridge Street in Walsall, which was later taken over by Rowland Beckett in partnership with George Newton in the 1930’s. George was a very dedicated accountant, and worked with the firm well into his 90’s.
We also opened another sub office in Imperial Gardens in Cheltenham, managed by Charlie Parker, to facilitate the audit of The Cheltenham & Gloucester Building Society and many other clients in Cheltenham and the Cotswolds. However, this branch was closed in the early 1970’s following the death of Charlie.
During the Second World War…
Growth over the years meant the firm was large enough to remain open, despite many articled clerks joining the forces throughout the Second World War. Some of these returned to continue training after the war ended, including Cyril Hughes and Cedric Wells, who later become partners of the firm.
As the Birmingham office was destroyed during the air strikes, the firm decided to expand in Walsall and moved into larger offices in Lloyds Bank Chambers.
Partner changes over the years…
Cyril Hughes qualified in 1953 and joined Rowland Beckett and George Newton as a partner. In 1971, Rowland Beckett died, and George Newton reverted to part time consultancy.
Following this, Cedric Wells and a younger former articled clerk Geoff Gibbons were appointed as partners of Edwards Chartered Accountants. In 1976, newly qualified Richard Hughes also became a partner.
Our growth until the present day…
In 1980 our current Director David Webb also commenced his training and became a partner of the firm. By the early 1980’s, we had outgrown our offices again, and the firm moved to larger premises in the West Midlands.
Edwards then purchased a practice named Hartland & Co in 1985, and David Webb and Geoff Gibbons moved to the Harland & Co Premises on Anchor Road in Aldridge.
In 1987 the practice purchased Pembridge & Co in Walsall and moved into their premises on Birmingham Road and the Aldridge office moved to larger premises.
A couple of years later in 1989, David Webb became a partner aged 27 and remains one today!
In 1992 Geoff Gibbons moved to a role in industry and this left Richard Hughes running the Walsall office and David Webb managing the office in Aldridge.
Following this, the business changed its name from Walter J. Edwards to how it is known today as Edwards Chartered Accountants. From here, both offices continued to grow and in 2004, Neil Taylor became a partner at Walsall Office and Adrian Stevens a partner at Aldridge.
In 2005 both offices merged to one office on High Street in Aldridge, where you can find us today. In 2013, our partnership incorporated as Edwards Accountants (Midlands) Limited and remained trading as Edwards. Paul Tonks was appointed a Director in 2013 and became a shareholder in 2016 when Richard Hughes retired.
In 2020 Steven Holden joined Edwards Accountants as the firm’s first dedicated Tax Director, offering a wider range of planning and advisory services to our clients.
Throughout our history of over 100 years, we have enjoyed clients of a size and stature far greater than what would have been expected for the size of our firm and are proud to continue to do so in the present day.
Get in touch with one of our Directors:
