Atty. Rod Dyer points to the faded signature of his great grandfather, Atty. Napoleon Dyer on the left and his own signature at right, eighteen lines below that of Attorney Harold Wescott, founder of the Wescott Law where Dyer is senior partner. The book dating back to 1865 bears signatures of all attorneys, past and present, from throughout Belknap County.

It is a long-standing tradition at the Belknap County Bar Association’s annual meeting for attorneys who are new to practicing in that region to add their signature to a leather bound journal dating back to 1865, the year the Belknap County Bar Association was formed. Originally used for recording minutes of BCBA proceedings and to enroll attorneys as members of the organization, one of first entries was a resolution of condolences on the death of President Abraham Lincoln.

For Attorney Rod Dyer of Wescott Law, this is more than a piece of New Hampshire history, it’s personal as well. “My great grandfather signed the book in 1888” states Dyer, pointing to the signature of Attorney Napoleon Dyer. Dyer’s own signature, added in 1964, can be seen at the bottom of the adjoining page, just inches below where that of Attorney Harold Wescott, founder of Wescott Law where Dyer is the senior attorney, signed in 1927. Surprisingly, during the seven decades between the two Dyers, less than sixty new attorneys signed the journal, indicative of the number of new lawyers in the county during that period.

Sadly, this valuable piece of Central NH legal history was once misplaced and thought lost for a period approximately ten years. “I received information regarding its whereabouts, and we regained possession of it. As president of the organization at the time, I arranged for all attorneys who would have signed during that decade to do so, effectively bringing the book up to date,” explains Dyer.  For the next thirty years Dyer took personal responsibility for the safekeeping of the journal, bringing it to all BCBA annual meetings. This unofficial role is referred to as Keeper of the Book.

At this year’s meeting, held April 21 at Ellacoya Barn and Grille in Gilford, NH, Dyer passed the torch to the firm’s newest attorney, Kathrine Lacey.  “I know how much this book means to the association and I’m honored to have been entrusted by Attorney Dyer to carry on the care of such an important, historical item”, states Lacey, an attorney with the firm since November of 2014. Lacey proudly added her own signature during the 2015 meeting.