How the North East was
won…
The way in which banking spreads across Britain can be likened to the
trail-blazing of pioneers, as they set up shop in each and every town along
the way. There is almost something
of a “Wild-West” feel to this wonderful image from the 1890s! That County Durham will become saturated
with Branches of Martins Bank is due to the many banking amalgamations
which eventually will bring the Bank of Liverpool and the North Eastern Banking
Company together in 1914. You can just make out the name of the bank in the
window to the left of the front door.
Image © 1968 Martins
Bank and Geographia
By the time Martins Bank merges with Barclays,
the North Eastern District is the most populous, with more than 130 branches
from the Scottish borders down to the East Riding of Yorkshire. Annfield
Plain Branch is established in 1897 by the North Eastern Banking company,
who set up an agency at J R Barrow’s Chemist’s shop. Seventy years on, and
under the stewardship of Martins Bank, Annfield Plain is a self accounting
sub branch to Consett. The branch opens full banking hours across a six day
week, and is merged into Barclays in 1969. Annfield Plain remains open for
another eighteen years.
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In Service: 1897 until 17 August 1987
J R Barrow’s Annfield Plain Agency of the
North Eastern Bank, in 1897…
Image – Martins Bank Archive collections
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