Opened in 1868, Kirkby Lonsdale is an original branch of Messrs Wakefield, Crewdson’s Kendal Bank, which merges with the Bank of Liverpool in 1893. The building we see here is opened by the Bank of Liverpool in 1898, announced in the local press as follows:

Westmorland Gazette 17 SEP 1898

Image © Northcliffe Media Limited, created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD, and reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive

As we can see in the pictures below, Kirkby Lonsdale undergoes expansion, which swallows up the shop next door. The object is, of course, to achieve larger premises that allow for an expansion in business.

In Service: 1868 until 25 January 2022

Branch Images © Barclays Ref 0030/1520

This is a prudent move, as banking between the mid 1970s and the late 1990s will rely on an enormous quantity of paper transactions and records to the point where staff are constantly boxing up and send off items to be stored in central warehouses. Having survived the merger with Barclays, Kirkby Lonsdale remained open into the twenty-first century, albeit on much reduced opening hours, and closure was finally announced by Barclays for 25 January 2022. Very little else has changed at this listed building, apart from the addition of a Barclays cash machine in the space of the large leftmost window. Whilst Martins Bank Magazine doesn’t pay Kirkby Lonsdale a visit, we have been able to dig out a few short articles concerning members of the staff, which we have reproduced below….

Small town expansion…x

Branch Images © Barclays Ref 0030/1520

xA dog’s best friend…

A lady customer at Kirkby Lonsdale branch announced sadly the loss of her dog – “Is it”, asked Mr R Jopson, “a brown and white terrier with rather long legs?” “Yes”, replied the lady, hopefully. “If you go down the street to the Green, I think you will find it playing with some other dogs”. The lady went to the Green to return later, with her dog and full of gratitude. “All part of the service” blandly explains Mr G A Bateson, our manager…

It started at a dance…

Hazel Robinson of our Kirkby Lonsdale Branch was chosen to be the first ‘Miss Westmorland Young Farmer’ at a dance in Whittington in July 1968. She is chairman of Hutton Young Farmers’ Club.

Unaccustomed as she is…

Hazel Robinson of Kirkby Lonsdale branch, featured in our Autumn 1968 issue as the first 'Miss Westmorland Young Farmer', is in the news. She was one of a team of three representing Hutton Young Farmers' Club which won the final of the Westmorland youth public speaking competitions, held at County Hall, Kendal, on November 20.

Mt T A Grimes Joined the Bank here 1903 to 1908	Mr H S Hayes Joined the Bank Here 1908	Mr J H Jarvis Joined the Bank here 1910	Mr T T Warriner Cashier 1919 to 1920	Mr J R Williams Staff Member 1941 to 1946	Mr D Kennard Manager 1944 to 1961
Mr T B Whitehead Staff Member 1952 to 1959	Mr G A Bateson Manager 1961 to 1964	Mr R Jopson Staff Member 1964 to 1969	Mr R H Watson Manager 1964 onwards	Miss Hazel Robinson Staff Member 1968

DISTRICT BANK LIMITED Main Street

MARTINS BANK LIMITED Main Street

MIDLAND BANK LIMITED Main Street

Title:

Type:

Address:

Index Number and District:

Hours:

Telephone:

Services:

Manager:

11-24-50 Kirkby Lonsdale

Main Branch

66 Main street Kirkby Lonsdale Westmorland

213 Northern

Mon to Fri 1000-1500

Saturday 0900-1130

Kirkby Lonsdale 254

Nightsafe Installed

R H Watson Manager

Kirkby in Furness

1868

1893

1898

18 December 1918

3 January 1928

15 December 1969

25 January 2022

Opened by Messrs Wakefield, Crewdson – The Kendal Bank

Bank of Liverpool

Moved to 66 Main Street

Bank of Liverpool and Martins

Martins Bank Limited

Barclays Bank Limited 20-47-04 Kirkby Lonsdale

Scheduled to close permanently from 12 noon

Kirkby stephen

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