A leading firm of Chartered Accountants in Cornwall says it is proud to mark 80 years of helping clients.

Hodgsons is headquartered in Falmouth and originally emerged from the ashes of a bombing raid during World War II.

John Dixon Hodgson (JDH) worked for a firm of accountants in Plymouth whose offices were destroyed during the Blitz.

When the government of the day announced that owners of small farms would be required to pay tax based on their profits rather than on their acreage, JDH seized the opportunity to relocate to Launceston, the fulcrum of a long-established farming community, and establish a new accountancy practice.

On 6th October 1942, Hodgsons was officially founded under the name of John D Hodgson.

Armed with only a typewriter, JDH traded from the back office of Kittows Auctioneers, from which he built a loyal base of local agricultural clientele.

The company developed rapidly and in the 1970s, JDH’s son, Peter, returned to Cornwall from London to join the family firm.

In 1976, Hodgsons purchased the Cornish arm of London accountants, Wood Albery and was one of the first businesses to invest in a computer, long before many of its competitors.

In 2001, Hodgsons purchased Ward Ohly in Falmouth, which provided the Company with an additional strategic base from which to expand its operations in the south west.

It was then time for James – Peter’s son and JDH’s grandson – to repeat the pattern and return to Cornwall from Bristol to run the Falmouth office, where he became Managing Partner and is now Managing Director.

James Hodgson said: "With changes in client behaviour and advances in technology, the business was reconfigured earlier this year and Hodgsons is now firmly rooted in Falmouth.

"Although Hodgsons’ focus was on the Cornish farming community for many years, our client base has expanded to landed estates, professional services and other commercial trades, from Cornwall to London.

"My grandfather’s ethos was to provide expertise, insightful advice and a level of personalised service that clients could not readily find elsewhere, and those core values have been the mainstay of our family firm for 80 years.

"It is not just about us taking care of the numbers, it is about how those numbers impact on individuals, families and everyday lives, which is why some of our clients have chosen to work with us for generations.

"While accounting services and audits are still an integral element, the modern accountancy practice offers so much more, from expertise in tax planning for private individuals to corporate finance and business development, and it is these aspects that we have ambitious plans to develop from our Falmouth base, overlooking the Carrick Roads.

"Hodgsons has been at the forefront of innovative accountancy practice since my grandfather established the firm in 1942 and I look forward to continuing his legacy to future-proof the business for many more years to come."

Hodgsons is celebrating eight decades of successful accountancy in Cornwall by sponsoring Falmouth Art Gallery’s Open Exhibition and Art Prize, Imagine Falmouth, and by hosting an event for invited guests.