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We don’t have too much
information to relate about Alnwick Branch, but fourteen members of the staff
appear in our gallery below… The
Alnwick & County Bank
was founded by Messrs. William Dickson and William Woods in May, 1858, at Alnwick,
advantage having been taken of the opportunity afforded by the collapse of
the Northumberland & Durham District Bank in the previous year. Mr. Dickson was a solicitor in
Alnwick, Mr. Woods a banker in Newcastle. It is of interest to note that this
connection is still maintained. |
In Service: May 1858 until 11 January 1978 Image © Barclays
Ref 0033-0017 |
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A’s and B’s in Northumberland… In the Autumn of 1965, Martins Bank Magazine does a lightning tour of
the branches in Northumberland, whose names begin either with A or B. It seems there is little more time used
than that needed to photograph the staff, write a quick sentence or two, and
move on… At Alnwick we found a branch which retains
the appearance, charm and individuality of the original Alnwick and County
Bank even to the coach house, the walled garden, and a bank house worthy of a
country gentleman – a role befitting Mr J W Garbutt whose geniality survived
unperturbed our broad hints that we wouldn’t at all mind having his job… |
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Alnwick adapts to change… The Alnwick and County Bank is
taken over by the North Eastern Banking Company In the Summer of 1875. The
hand-written circular seen here (below) informs managers of the Bank’s
Branches somewhat curtly of this latest development in their lives: “You are
doubtless aware that the Alnwick and County Bank has been amalgamated with
this company. I beg to annexe
signatures of the General Manager and Officers, which please honour. I am,
Sir, your most obedient servant, Hugh Rose, Secretary”… |
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From this point, Alnwick’s cheques
will bear the name of the North Eastern Banking Company as successors to the
Alnwick and County Bank, until 1914 and the next amalgamation – this time
with the Bank of Liverpool. We hold a number
of Alnwick Branch cheques in the archive, and those shown below enable us to
chart the way in which cheques have had to evolve in order to keep up with
changes in banking practice and the technology of branch accounting. Images: Four Centuries of Banking Vol II
© Martins Bank Limited 1968 and Martins Bank Archive Collections |
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March 1926 This bank of Liverpool and Martins Cheque bears only
a serial number, and the amount is written in figures at the BOTTOM of the cheque. A
watermark provides a basic security feature. Image © Martins Bank
Archive Collections |
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April 1935 Now MARTINS BANK Alnwick, the
Branch has been given a NATIONAL NUMBER – 11026 – this is to assist with
the sorting and payment of cheques, and is two three four or five digits in
length. The watermark remains the only security feature. Image © Martins
Bank Archive Collections |
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Late 50s early 60s Gradually evolving into the style we recognise
today, the amount box moves to the right hand side of the cheque. The letters “AL” in the top left are to
assist with sorting cheques. For a time, all Branches showed the first two
letters of their name on cheques. For security, the words MARTINS BANK LIMITED are printed in
tiny rows across the entire face of the cheque… Image © Martins
Bank Archive Collections |
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1963 Onwards The National Number is replaced by the SORTING
CODE NUMBER - a standard six digit code. Sophisticated security features and
markings have also been added. The amount box moves up and to the right to
make way for magnetic encoding to be printed by machine underneath. The
cheque number appears only as magnectic ink encoding. By the end of the decade
most cheques will be printed in this way. Image © Martins
Bank Archive Collections |
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