11-36-30 Doncaster

The Bank of Liverpool and Martins opens a Branch at Doncaster in June 1927, one month before the first of two mergers that will create the modern day Martins Bank. In July the Bank takes on the Branches of the Halifax Equitable Bank, and by the end of December the Branches of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank will also have been subsumed, creating a Northern “superbank”. The fine old building at Baxtergate, Doncatser, is shown in its full glory (here and below), in these evocative images, and there is also a timely reminder of just how much our buildings change!

In Service: 2 June 1927 until 15 February 1974

Image © Barclays Ref 0030-0837

By the time of the 1969 merger with Barclays, Doncaster is a stand alone full Branch operated over the full six day banking week. There are no visits to Doncaster by Martins Bank Magazine, but we do have the following write-up for the retirement of Mr E Bellhouse from the end of March 1965…

on 31 march 50 friends and colleagues attended an informal cocktail party given by Elliott Bellhouse, Pro Manager at Doncaster, to mark his retirement. At a brief ceremony at the branch beforehand Mr A. J. Talbot, the Manager, presented Mr Bellhouse with a pair of binoculars from staff, colleagues and former Managers. District Office was represented by Mr B. G. Pearse (Inspector). Mr Talbot thanked Mr Bellhouse for his loyal and conscientious service over 42 years, mentioning his outstanding attendance record, maintained despite indifferent health in recent years, and wished Mr Bellhouse many years of happy retirement in his new bungalow on the Yorkshire coast. He entered the Bank at Leeds in 1922 and served at many Leeds District branches. After 4 years' war service he joined the Doncaster branch staff for the third time in 1946, becoming Pro Manager in 1960.

What day is it, who am I?

Then and Now.jpg In its heyday – some forty-five years as a bank, 21 Baxter Gate had character and presence. How cruel the passage of time can be – the fine ground level shop front façade at Doncaster is barely recognisable today; our thanks to Mike Ingham for his contemporary photos…


Image © Barclays Ref 0030/0837	Image © Mike Ingham September 2015	Image © Mike Ingham May 2016

… and yet how ephemeral is today’s High Street? Mike has continued to keep an eye on Doncaster Branch, and in only the space of a few weeks, it would seem the new “fashions outlet” has gone and been replaced by that most twenty-first century of phenomena, a POP-UP SHOP – a kind of little toe test of economic conditions in a local area, often followed by a sharp exit when any available profit has been milked. A consolation is of course that the building is actually being used for something, and at least the upper floors still retain their architectural dignity on the OUTSIDE, despite whatever is going on on the INSIDE!



*Mr C C Russell* *Manager* *1927 to 1935*	*Mr R Wood* *On the Staff* *1943 to 1944*	*Mr A H Swinden* *On the Staff* *1946*	*Mr A Robinson* *Manager* *1952*	*Mr W E Bellhouse* *Pro Manager* *1960 to 1965*	*Miss M Cambridge* *Manager’s Secretary and Cashier 1964*



*Mr E S Haigh* *On the Staff* *1964*	*Mr A F Cook* *Pro Manager* *1965 to 1969*	*Mr A J Morrell* *Pro Manager* *1969*	*Mr Andrew Reid* *On the Staff* *1969*	*Mr Michael Ingham* *On the staff* *1969*

BARCLAYS BANK LIMITED High Street Hall Gate Kingsway House Balby	CO-OPERATIVE WHOLESALE	LLOYDS BANK LIMITED 55 High Street Balby 5 Water Dale Wheatley

MARTINS BANK LIMITED 21 Baxter Gate	MIDLAND BANK LIMITED	NATIONAL PROVINCIAL BANK 47 High Street

UNITED DOMINIONS TRUST	WESTMINSTER BANK LIMITED 12 High Street High Melton College	WILLIAMS DEACON’S BANK

YORKSHIRE BANK LIMITED High Street ? 21 Printing Office Street