Brecon Bank

There is no such thing as “Crickhowell Bank” – although below listed is often referred to as such.  To be precise this is the Crickhowell Branch of Frederick Fredericks’ Brecon Bank.  (Not to be confused with the Brecon Old Bank of Wilkins & Co). The item below bears the locations Crickhowell, Brecon and Porthmawr.  Confusing?  Yes, and perhaps deliberately so.  A speculative and short lived venture.  Only the notes, and the almanack entries, remain. 

Frederick Fredericks – 1819

Failed – 1823  

No partnership names shown

£1

1820

Vignette of Gateway left.  Heavily soiled, worn and creased, limp paper and piece missing at right. 

Good

£85

Burlington & Driffield Bank – Bridlington

This was Bridlington’s only private Bank – Burlington being the old local name for Bridlington.

Thompson & Co – 1802

Various partnerships

Hardings predominate from 1810’s

Branches at Leeds & Driffield

Harding & Co from 1848

Taken over by York City & County – 1880

Then to Midland - now HSBC.

Harding & Co

£5

1880

Oranate rosette left, w/mark of Bank name. Creased/folded, heavily worn, multiple marks, few small holes, punch hole cancelled, heavily marked on blank reverse.

Good

£175

Christchurch & Wimborne Bank

Tunks & Co – 1808

Numerous partnerships

(Tunks departs for Ringwood in 1812 - see Ringwood below)

Dean, Clapcott, Quartley & Co – 1821

Failed - 1826

Dean, Clapcott, Quartley & Co

£1

1825

Church at left, large “ONE” as a blue background print, ornate red/black 5d. duty stamp design on reverse, sig. is cut cancelled, creases and folds, surface marks.

Fine

£45

Craven Bank – Settle + Skipton

Birkbecks were Quakers who were linked by marriage to the Gurneys in Norfolk and the Crewdson family in Kendal – bankers one and all.  They all ended up in Barclays - it must have been like a family reunion!   Influential and important private bank.

Birkbeck & Co - 1760

Numerous partnerships mainly Birkbecks

Branches = 40

Became Craven Bank Ltd in 1880

Taken over by Bank of Liverpool – 1906

Then to Barclays.

Craven Bank Company

£10

18--

Large cow (the fabled ‘Craven Heifer’) in centre, UNISSUED and from the BURNLEY branch. 

aUnc

£120

Dartmouth General Bank

Hine & Holdsworth – 1810

Hine, Holdsworth & Pomeroy – 1823

Failed - 1824

John Hine & Henry Joseph Holdsworth

£1

1820

Ornate initials left, signed  “H. J. Holdsworth”.  Has “Dartmouth General Bank” in brown on reverse.  Creased, soiled, small tears, limp paper and heavily circulated.

Good

£88

Derby & Derbyshire Banking Co 

A major regional player in its day and one of the earlier and  more successful joint stock banks.  £50 note below is without “Ltd” so must pre-date 1880.  £50 of 1870 equates to £2,500 today.  A group of 4/5 unissued £50’s came to market in 2002

Derby & Derbyshire Banking Co – 1833

Became “Ltd” – 1880

Branches = 8

Taken over by Parr’s Bank – 1898

Then to NatWest.

Derby & Derbyshire Banking Co

£50

N/D

UNISSUED.  Double shield vignette upper left, “Fifty” as a large blue underprint, “Fifty” at lower left is copy of Bank of England style.  Watermark with Bank name.  “Derby” issue. Heavily creased and 2” tear at left, soiled and marked.  Main merit is the high denomination of £50 which is unusual.

Good

£175

Dorsetshire General Bank

This is one that rose and fell without a trace – except for the banknotes left behind.  A very short lived venture of just 3 years.  No report yet of any cheques from this bank!

Fowler, Good & Co – 1809

Wm. Fowler, Dan. Fowler & Wm. Good – 1812

Failed in 1812

William Fowler, William Good & Compy.

£1

180-

Vignette of sailing ship + ship building left, watermark of Bank initials within frame, with embossed duty stamp for 3d, UNISSUED.

aUnc

£80

Faversham Bank

Bax & Co – 1796

(First known as Faversham Commercial Bank)

Various partnerships

Hiltons arrived 1810’s

Faversham Bank from 1840

Hilton, Rigden & Rigden from 1890

Taken over by Prescotts – 1902

Then to Natwest.

Hilton, Rigden & Rigden

£5

1887

Shield + unicorn left.  Creased/folds, marks + stains, pinholes, cut cancelled.

Fine

£85

Horton & Horton – Stafford

Obscure Bank of which little is known.  Only uncirculated £1’s so far confirmed – see below.  Of the 7 private Banks established in Stafford all failed except the Stafford Bank of Stevenson & Co. which was well conducted and would have been stiff opposition.  Did this Bank of Horton & Horton really exist or was it a proposal only?

William Horton & John Horton – a1800?

No record of demise. 

William Horton, John Horton & Co

£1

180-

Castle + lions + ornate initials left.  Minor folds and knocks to edges, minor marks, some paper foxing.

VF

£85

Newcastle Exchange Bank 

Private bank which passed from father to son and then passed away with the partners bankrupt in 1806.  This £5 of 1803 was amongst the last they issued before closure

Surtees & Burdon – 1768  (£1’s)

Surtees, Burdon & Brandling – 1787  (£1’s + £5’s)

Surtees, Burdon, Surtees & Brandling – 1798 (£5’s)

Surtees, Burdon, Surtees’s & Brandling – 1799  (£1’s + £5’s)

Surtees’s, Burdon & Brandling – 1803  (£1’s + £5’s)

Surtees’s, Burdon & Brandling

£5

1803

Clock tower left, signed “John Surtees”, blue border left edge,  Bank name found only in the watermark along with  “Surtees B & B”.  Fold/creases. Few pinholes, nice and clean.

Fine+

£105

Macclesfield & Cheshire Bank

One description of Ryle was “inherited too much money too young”.  There was also a Daintry, Ryle & Co at Manchester – separate banks, not branches.   Notes appear to have used style “Daintry, Ryle & Co” throughout although partnership names did change.  Proves the point that partners names had to be on the banking licence but not necessarily on the notes

Daintry & Ryle – 1808

Various partnerships

Ryle & Ravenscroft – a1840

Failed 1841

Daintry, Ryle & Co

£5

1841

Double shield in centre.  “J. L. Ryle” signature.  Numerous bankruptcy stamps.  Creased, soiled, holes, small tears, heavily circulated.

Good

£105

Plymouth Dock Bank - Devonport

Nelson, St. Aubyn & Chappell – 1790

Various partnerships

Shiells & Johns from 1819

Failed in 1825

Thomas Clinton Shiells & Henry Incledon Johns

£1

1823

Ship under sail at left, “51, Fore Street” upper left, signed “T. Shiells”, large & ornate black/red 5d duty on reverse. Creases + folds, several pinholes, marked, overall pleasant appearance.

Fine

£95

Thomas Clinton Shiells & Henry Incledon Johns

£5

1820

Front design as above but reverse has Bank name & “Five” within ornate border.  The ship vignette has graffiti of small “stick figures” in the sea!  No, I don’t know why.  Has been cut in half and rejoined.  Well circulated.