William Russell set up his legal practice in Bolton in 1887. The son of a local timber merchant, he quickly gained a reputation for being an open, honest and fair legal practitioner. Because of this, it wasn’t long before he attracted the business of large clients, such as the Bolton Union Permanent Building Society, one of the forerunners of the Building Society movement.
A public spirited individual who was an avid supporter of local charities, William Russell also contributed greatly to local affairs. This culminated in his election as MP for Bolton in 1922 – he won it with a majority of 6,000.
When his younger brother, Walter joined the practice in 1898, the name Russell & Russell was born. Although the firm is no longer in the hands of the Russell family, the practice still maintains the values William Russell advocated all those years ago.