Rawcliffe & Co has grown to become one of the region’s most successful accountants and tax consultancy offices for 96 years.
From simple beginnings, when we were helping the regions self-employed to file their tax returns, we have developed an excellent reputation for providing accountancy and taxation services, to both individual clients and businesses.
New Offices at Whitehills Business Park
History
Edward Rawcliffe commenced the accountancy practice bearing his name in 1926, based at 29 Birley Street in Blackpool. Edward lived on Lincoln Road in Blackpool for much of his life with his wife Madge and two daughters, Shirley and Val. A highly active member of local politics, Edward was educated at Arnold School, of whose Old Boys’ Association he was Chairman in 1959-1960. He was chairman of Blackpool North Conservatives from 1969 and from 1973 until 1975 he was Chairman of the Blackpool Conservative Party. He sadly died on 8th November 1978 in St. Joseph’s Hospital in Preston, having been ill for one month.
Michael Owen joined the firm in 1938, after leaving Arnold School. His career was interrupted while he served in the RAF in India during the Second World War, before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant and later, making partnership in 1948. Michael continued on as partner until semi-retirement in 1988. Michael continued on as a consultant, before fully retiring in 1996. He sadly passed away in Cleveleys Nursing Home on 3rd January 2016, aged 93 years.
Birley Street, Blackpool, circa. 1930s
Peter Adcroft started with the firm in 1956 and was made partner in 1964, in the same year John Harrison joined the practice, before being made a partner in 1977. One year prior, in 1976, Malcolm Ashton joined the firm and was offered Partnership a mere 7 years later in 1983. For many years, Malcolm headed up the Kirkham Office of Rawcliffe & Co, before merging back together in 2016.
As the company grew, the need to expand increased and in 1980, Rawcliffe & Co relocated to new offices on Wilkinson Avenue. At this time, the Practice consisted of 4 Partners and more than 30 staff.
In 1992 Peter Adcroft retired, just before Rawcliffe & Co acquired the practice Mabel Pails Accountants in St. Annes. At the same time Brian Blackburn and David Harben were offered the seats of the retiring partners. These appointments commenced the operation of a business support service, offering full bookkeeping and accountancy services to franchisees.
Rawcliffe & Co Leaflet circa. 1980
Edward Rawcliffe
Peter Adcroft
Michael Owen
Several more acquisitions took place throughout the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, these included Hindocha Chartered Accountants on Caunce Street, Blackpool in 1998, Brenda High & Son in Thornton-Cleveleys, in 1999 and in 2001, from Thornton-Cleveleys; 2x2 Bookkeeping and another local sole practitioner.
In 2000 Ian Harrison joined the company and in 2001 Joseph Tantram joined the company after finishing his BA(Hons) in Accountancy at UCLAN. Both then went on to qualify ACCA in 2006.
2003, saw the start of Kirsten Shearer who started as a work experience while studying for her BA (Hons) in Accountancy from Leeds University. Kirsten started working full time with the company upon graduation in 2005. Kirsten went on the achieve her ACCA qualification in 2008.
In 2005, Rawcliffe & Co became the first accountants in the country to offer online company incorporations via our own direct link with Companies House.
In 2008, current partners Joseph Tantram and Ian Harrison, the son of John Harrison, were offered partnership and at the same time, Rawcliffe & Co acquired the long-established practice of M Barnfather & Co and the practice of Ward, Dodd & Truelove.
In 2010, John Harrison retired as a partner of the firm, but retained a consultancy role and shortly after in 2011, Kirsten Shearer, was offered the firm’s first female partnership. Later that same year, Rawcliffe & Co acquired Goorney & Taylor accountants, on Abingdon Street, in Blackpool, from Paul Wigan. Then in 2012, Rawcliffe & Co purchased Becketts Chartered Accountants, in Poulton and David Harben and Brian Blackburn relocated to head up the new office, before going independent in 2014.
In 2014, Rawcliffe & Co made the decision to incorporate and in 2016 relocated to their current head office location, at Whitehills Business Park. A purpose-built new building, designed to be open plan and energy efficient, with up to date communications and data access. That same year, Rawcliffe & Co purchased Robert H Green Accountants, located on Whitegate Drive and immediately relocated their office to the Blackpool office.
During the national pandemic in 2020, Rawcliffe & Co acquired another practice, JD Mercer & Co of Poulton from John Mercer, who stayed on to help consult on a part-time basis. Joseph Tantram relocated offices, in order to head up the newest branch of Rawcliffe & Co. based in Poulton le Fylde.
Then in 2022, Rawcliffe & Co acquired its final new office, Stanley Wilkinson Chartered Accountants, in Bispham. Stanley Wilkinson has continued to work with Rawcliffe & Co, throughout the transition, until he decides to take up his long-awaited retirement.
In August 2022 Senior Partner, Malcolm Ashton decided to take semi- retirement and has taken on a consultancy role within Rawcliffe & Co. The Practice now consists of 3 directors and 27 staff.