Leathes Prior Founding Solicitor Oliver Prior Passes Away


It is with great sadness and regret that we say goodbye to Oliver Prior, one of Leathes Prior’s founding solicitors, who died peacefully on Thursday 5th June at the age of 95.

Oliver was the younger son of Bernard Henry Leathes Prior, a distinguished solicitor whose own father, Leathes Prior, started the family Law Firm of Leathes Prior in the late 1870's. When Oliver finally retired as senior partner in 1977, it ended a family link with the firm spanning 100 years. He is survived by his widow Nina and three children, Juliet, Saranne and Tom, and two step-children, Thomas and Christine, from his second marriage.

In addition to his work at Leathes Prior, Oliver was Coroner to the City of Norwich for 28 years and in 1948 was appointed Clerk of the Peace for the City of Norwich and Clerk to The Great Hospital. In this latter role he was responsible for leading a programme to modernise housing for residents at the Great Hospital. His family links with the Great Hospital were initially forged in 1916 when his Grandfather, Leathes Prior, was a trustee of the Norwich almshouse; a role also undertaken by his father.

Princess Alexandra opened Prior Court on 24th June 1980, a residential building named after the Prior family in acknowledgement of their significant contribution to The Great Hospital.

Born in 1913, Oliver spent his early years with his mother in London. He attended several schools, including King's College Cambridge Choir School and Brentwood School in Essex, before finally attending Norwich School when the family returned to Norfolk.

Upon leaving school in 1930, he was articled to his father to commence his training as a solicitor in the family firm.

Aside from the law, military service played a prominent role in Oliver’s life. In 1931 he joined the Territorial Army - 4th Battalion the Royal Norfolk Regiment (TA). Three years later he was promoted and was called up for the start of the Second World War in 1939, following which he became Company Commander of 6th Battalion. After serving in the war, Oliver declined an offer to continue life in the military as a full Colonel, due to his strong commitments to his family’s law firm. He therefore returned to Norfolk once more, where he married his first wife in June 1937.

By a stroke of good fortune, Oliver was able to secure premises for his legal practice at number 12 in Norwich’s Cathedral Close; the Close being a location which the firm is still pleased to be associated with today. Leathes Prior now occupies a number of other properties in the Close, including premises in Tombland.

By 1977 the firm’s partnership had increased to 12 and Oliver chose to stand down as senior partner, concentrating instead on both his diocesan role and his connection with the Great Hospital. In 1983 he retired as Coroner and as Clerk to the Great Hospital but continued with his diocesan work and was later awarded an MBE in 1984.

He finally retired from these posts in 1990, only to become Chairman of the Employment Appeals Tribunal, President of the Mental Health Act Tribunals and a member of the Civil Service's legal selection board.

His greatest hobby was golf and at 92 he proudly achieved his first hole-in-one.

Oliver still visited the offices of Leathes Prior regularly until very recently, and was frequently in attendance at the firm’s annual social events. He will be sadly missed by all the partners and staff of Leathes Prior, who remain indebted to him (and his forefathers) for their legacy.

A funeral service will be held at Norwich Cathedral on Wednesday, 18th June at 3.45pm.

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