Newbury had its own bank between 1841 until 1852 called the Berkshire Union Banking Co. with the head office as a joint stock bank established in the Market Place, Newbury, in 1841 as County of Berks Union Banking Co, with a capital of £200,000. It appears to have changed its name to Berkshire Union Banking Co in the early 1840s. By 1852 the bank had branches in Abingdon, Wantage, Reading, Windsor and Wallingford. In 1852 the bank was taken over by London County Banking Company Ltd and continued to trade in Newbury under that name. In August 1909 the bank merged with London & Westminster Bank. In order to effect the amalgamation London & County Banking Co was renamed London, County & Westminster Bank and acquired the assets and business of London & Westminster Bank which was then wound up. In 1911 London, County & Westminster Bank acquired the business of the failed Birbeck bank of London followed in 1917 by the very much larger Ulster Bank of Belfast which had 170 branches The new bank, had taken over several operating and failed banks between 1911 and 1917 was renamed the Westminster Bank Ltd from 1923 onwards until In 1968 the bank announced a merger with National Provincial Bank of London but continued to operate as a separate business until 1 January 1970 when the group became known as The National Westminster Bank and latterly, NatWest to amalgamate with the Royal Bank of Scotland PLC in 2000.
No internet banking in those days. A cheque was issued to pay for goods, each cheque costing one penny, and this was crossed & Co which meant it had to be paid into an account and funds would only be available when the cheque had cleared. This practice continues till this day but cheque books come ready printed with a crossing, A/C Payee. The person signed the cheque on the rear it went through the banking system with various branch stamps on it until it was eventually returned to the writer for his records.
Below is a cheque dated May 8th 1899 drawn on The London & County Banking Co Ltd (Newbury Branch) issued by Mr Rolfe who had a clothing shop in Cheap Street
Newbury had its own bank between 1841 until 1852 called the Berkshire Union Banking Co
A relative newcomer - Bailey & Vincent's Newbury bank was founded in the 1780s but failed in the early 1800s after a major robbery. Toomer, Bunny & Slocock started around 1790 and became known as Newbury Old Bank. Changed partners several times before being absorbed by a London bank - eventually ended up as part of Lloyds, who still use the building built for the Old Bank in Bridge Street.
Toomer, Bunny & Slocock started around 1790 and became known as Newbury Old Bank. Changed partners several times before being absorbed by a London bank - eventually ended up as part of Lloyds, who still use the building built for the Old Bank in Bridge Street.
Sam Toomer (1783) and Sam Slocock (1775) appear in the list of Mayors of the borough of Newbury but not Bruce Bunny, but their sons??, Joseph Turner (1791,1801 & 1814), Jere Bunny (1836 & 37) and Alfred Slocock.(1809,12 and 13) do. Obviously pillars of Newbury society as were the other bankers quoted.
I wonder if one of the Toomers started up the Toomer's ironmongers in N'brook St.
They (Toomer, Bunny & Slocock) do get a mention as bankers and mortgage lenders in a few properties mainly West of newbury, Hungerford and Devizes See under date 1808. http://www.hungerfordvirtualmu.....charnham_street.html
And they make an appearance a few years later (1811) picking up their mortgage from a bankrupt owner.
Sam Toomer (1783) and Sam Slocock (1775) appear in the list of Mayors of the borough of Newbury but not Bruce Bunny, but their sons??, Joseph Turner (1791,1801 & 1814), Jere Bunny (1836 & 37) and Alfred Slocock.(1809,12 and 13) do. Obviously pillars of Newbury society as were the other bankers quoted.
I wonder if one of the Toomers started up the Toomer's ironmongers in N'brook St.
Samuel Toomer was mayor twice (you missed 1767) he was a canny businessman - married his boss's sister (a few months after his boss died), ended up owning the business - Toomers' ironmongers in the Market Place. His grandson, Nevil, started the Northbrook St business in the 1820s (in a property Samuel had acquired from his wife's family). Another grandson, Joseph, inherited the Market Place shop, he sold up and left Newbury in 1851. The grandsons were both sons of Joseph, the three times mayor and an important figure in Newbury history - manily because he took a census of the borough in 1815 but even the list of mayors first appears in a journal he wrote during his mayoral years. Samuel left the bank when he retired, none of his sons joined the bank, though one was an ironmonger and banker in Southampton.
Samuel Slocock owned the West Mills Brewery - a lot of banks were started by brewers, who had the ready cash available (Barclays being the best known). Alfred inherited the brewery but sold it fairly quickly. The family kept the bank going with various partners until they sold out in the late C19th
Edward Brice (not Bruce) Bunny was a local surgeon.
The museum has a few banknotes from the Toomer, Bunny & Slocock days - including a £15 note.
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