11-28-30 Dartford

Dartford is one of Martins Bank’s oldest Branches, opened by Martin and Company in 1891, and carried on serving customers for almost one hundred and thirty years. We are grateful to our friend Richard Michaud who has sourced the image (below left) taken in 1900 when Lowfield Street was flooded – note the usefulness of a horse and cart! It takes more than a flood and two world wars to affect customer service – Dartford Branch is made of sterner stuff, and it is still open today, more than one hundred and twenty years since it was first opened. Dartford is never visited by Martins Bank Magazine, but we do have a good stock of staff portraits in our gallery below, along with more exterior and interior photos from our friends at Barclays.

In Service 1891 until 14 September 2020

Branch Images © Barclays Ref 0838-0040 and 0030-0802

Still guarded by Gresham’s grasshopper, and standing defiantly against the times, Dartford Branch continues bears the name of Martins for some time AFTER the merger with Barclays. Dartford is one of the longest serving Martins Branches, clocking up 129 years by the time of its closure in September 2020.
Image: Martins Bank Archive Collections - Richard Michaud	Branch Images © Barclays Ref 0838-0040 and 0030-0802
It’s five to ten, and the Branch is about to open – this is still the age when most banks open from 10am to 3pm AND on Saturday mornings. The extra service this provides, particularly in rural areas where most sub-Branches are also open on Saturday is valuable to local traders. However, pressure from the banking union and staff associations brings about a new policy - removing the Saturday morning service, and opening for one hour longer on one evening each week…

Branch Images © Barclays Ref 0838/0040 and 0030/0802



*Mr R J T Edwards* *Joined the Bank Here* *1917*	*Mr E C G Prentice* *Joined the Bank Here* *1923*	*Mr W H Kinghorn* *Manager* *1934 to 1937*	*Mr H K Williams* *On the staff* *1939 to 1939*	*Mr J Pope* *On the Staff* *1940 to 1942*	*Mr K A Clark* *Joined the Bank Here* *1942 to 1944*



*Mr E St G Tyrell* *Manager* *1946 to 1953*	*Mr C H Piper* *On the Staff* *1946 to 1955*	*Mr M V Stevenson* *Joined the Bank Here* *1947*	*Mr A W Rose* *On the Staff* *1952 to 1956*	*Mr A W George* *Joined the Bank Here* *1952 to 1962*	*Mr J F O Burgess* *On the Staff* *1953 to 1954*



*Mr F R Ravenshear* *Manager* *1956 to 1960*	*Mr H Weaver* *Limited Authority* *1961 to 1965*	*Mr R C Purkiss* *Pro Manager* *1968 to 1968*	*Mr N Turner* *Pro Manager* *from 1968*

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