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In
1884 the Bank of Liverpool opens a Branch at 30, then 48 Church Street. For the next sixty two years it is known as
Liverpool Central. In 1933 the properties
on Church Street are renumbered, and in 1946 following the departure of
Manager Mr Drewsen, whose retirement write-up forms one of our features
below, the Branch becomes known officially as Church Street Branch. This office is ideally placed to be the first branch of ANY
bank in the North of England to be fitted with a cash machine. This takes
place in 1967, and the type of dispenser used is the first in the world to
use a plastic card and Personal identification Number (PIN). You can read more about this
amazing Martins first, and how it is announced to the local press HERE. At
first this innovation is seen very much as a curiosity – the idea that a
machine might replace a bank cashier is still almost science fiction. What follows, as we all now know is the
gradual replacement of whole bank branches by machines and remote services
including the internet. Images of the
cash dispenser are few and far between, but you can see the exact model used
being demonstrated in a wonderfully preserved film made in 1969 by ABC NEWS
AUSTRALIA,
who also seem to treat the idea of a cash machine with curiosity and some
scepticism… |
In Service:
1 December 1884 until 25 October 1991 (but see also foot of page) Image © Barclays Ref 0030-1664 |
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At the time of the
merger with Barclays, Martins has opened three cash machines, and has plans
for many more, but all of them are scrapped and replaced by “Barclaycash”
machines. Extra machines are installed
to cope with the closure of Branches on Saturday mornings. The
Branch that “moved about” (- a lot!) In what seems an incedible feat of
dexterity, Liverpool Central/Church Street Branch manages to appear in
offcial records and directories at no less than FIVE different addresses
between 1884 and 1933. 30 Church Street is likely to have been a temporary
address used to establish the new Branch of the Bank of Liverpool in 1884,
whilst permanent premises at 50 Church Street were either being built or
refurbished. However, two different directories
of Liverpool, and the Liverpool Telephone directory place the branch at No
46, Nos 46-48, No 48 AND No 50 until in August 1933 the properties in Church
Street are re-numbered, and the Branch finally settles down at No 84! You can read more about this in our Branch
History Section at the foot of this page. |
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There is no official visit
to Church Street Branch by Martins Bank Magazine, but we have found featured
two articles: Originally entitled
“Celebrities at the Counter”, this first one is very short and
concerns a customer paying in some winnings at Church Street Counter in 1960… Wendy
Lewis and her sister Joy at the counter of our Church Street branch,
Liverpool, paying in her winner's cheque to Mr. R. T. Forsyth shortly after
the conclusion of Wendy's successful walk from John O'Groats to Lands End. |
A “Joy”–ous occasion at Church Street Branch… |
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A large gathering numbering close on
fifty present and former colleagues gathered at Central Branch at the close
of business on 29 April to bid farewell to Mr J B Drewsen on his retirement
after forty-nine years’ service with the bank. Speeches of tribute were made by Messrs. G
O Papworth and T A Johnson, Assistant General Managers, and Mr R H Price
Assistant Staff Manager. Mr Papworth
then made the presentation on behalf of all subscribers of a tea service to
Mrs Drewsen. The present of a fishing
cabinet to Mr Drewsen was a token one, the actual gift not being ready. Among those present were Messrs. C P
Williams, J Edwards, A H Nutt, W E Elliott, R G Kilshaw, F A Dew, J E Gorst,
R C Wilding and Miss Ida Woolley.
Apologies for unavoidable absence were received from Messrs A M Jones,
D D Lynch, H Dickman, H F Herbert, G Beckett and many others. Mr Drewsen entered the service of the bank
at head Office in 1899, and received his first appointment to Manager at West
Derby branch in 1910. He became an
Inspector in 1921, and went as assistant manager to Central Branch in 1933,
becoming Manager the following year… |
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Special
thanks to Barclays Group Archives, Ancestry.co.uk and the
University of Leicester Special Collections for their
help “untangling” this history. M |
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