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Known as “Friargate” or “Market Street” or even “Friargate AND Market Street”, this Branch of Martins Bank sits like so many others on the corner of two thoroughfares – in this case in what is now one of the main shopping areas of Preston. This was a favourite ploy of banks in the Nineteenth Century – having one building with a presence in TWO streets at once.

Preston’s large covered market is just around the corner which suggests that Friargate Branch might handle large amounts of cash. In Barclays’ time, the Branch is at first used to offer banking services. This part of Preston undergoes pedestrianisation and for the last few years of its life Friargate is a local training centre for Barclays, as the upstairs rooms lend themselves well to a cheap conversion into classrooms.

In Service: 22 October 1923 until 1 February 1943 AND 23 July 1956 until 23 October 1991

Image © Barclays Ref 0030-2349

By this time, the business needs of ALL banks are changing almost daily, and the doors of Preston Friargate and Market Street Branch are closed forever in October 1991.

Requisitioned by the Ministry of Works…

For the first eighteen years of its existence, Friargate Branch has a reasonably quiet life. The second World War however, changes all that, and the premises are requisitioned by the Ministry of Works who initially want to use the whole building for the War Effort.

From that point on, the records of what went on at Friargate are a little confusing, and we must thank our good friends at Barclays for turning detective, and piecing it all together for us. The story involves the building being used for storage only for fourteen years, followed by a revival when space at the main Fishergate Branch is suddenly at a premium…

{The story isn’t entirely clear. Our Branch record card simply says ‘closed 1.2.43’, and the source for this must be the Secretary’s Branch notebook. However, the Bank continued to use/retain it and this is confirmed by the fact that the premises ledgers continue to record an unbroken series of repairs and maintenance entries throughout the period up to its reopening as a customer Branch in 1956.

The Standing Committee minutes for 2.7.41 record that on the departure of the manager, Thomas England, for his new appointment at Bury, the Bank had decided not to reappoint at Friargate, and that the Branch ‘would become a receiving office under the management of L R Tomlinson of Fishergate’. Not entirely sure what a receiving office is or was, but I assume it was a support Branch to Fishergate, perhaps for storage of records and other back-office purposes. However, the Committee subsequently recorded on 14.9.42 that the Ministry of Works, which was intending to requisition the whole building, had decided not to requisition the ground floor, and that as a consequence the Branch would continue to operate). So I can only assume that Friargate wasn’t in fact closed as a customer Branch until 1.2.43. This seems to be supported by Banker’s Almanacs which show Friargate as still open in the 1941/42 edition, closed in the 1948/49 edition, and open again in the 1956/57 edition.

However, to complicate matters the Committee recorded on 27.7.55 that, ‘this office was closed in 1941, existing connections being transferred to Fishergate Branch where our premises are no longer adequate for the expanding business. Furthermore, many customers would find Friargate more convenient and it was strongly recommended that we reopen the Branch as a sub-office to Fishergate. The premises are at present let at a rental of £367 per annum to HM Customs and Excise and we would suggest that they endeavour to give us possession in, say, six months time.’ The minutes for 8.6.56 record that Friargate would reopen as a sub to Fishergate on 23.7.56 }.

Images Martins Bank Archive Collections - © Lancashire Evening Post, courtesy Preston Digital Archive

Mr H Ingham Manager 1934 to 1939	Mr C C Richardes On the Staff 1936	Mr T England Manager 1939 to 1941	Mr H Mayhall Joined the Bank Here 1940 to 1942

BARCLAYS BANK LIMITED

32 Fishergate

463 Blackpool Road

DISTRICT BANK LIMITED

35 Fishergate 1—3 Fishergate Ashton-on-Ribble Church Street

Fulwood Plungington Docks Cattle Market

LLOYDS BANK LIMITED

94 Fishergate

Penwortham

MARTINS BANK LIMITED

38 Fishergate Friargate Mkt St Fulwood

Trustee Moor Park Penwortham

MIDLAND BANK LIMITED

39 Fishergate Trustee Ashton-on-Ribble Docks Plungington Road

40 Fishergate Church Street Fulwood Ribbleton

NATIONAL PROVINCIAL BANK

86 Fishergate

UNITED DOMINIONS TRUST

Lune Street

WESTMINSTER BANK LIMITED

99 Fishergate

WILLIAMS DEACON’S BANK

Fishergate Fulwood Ribbleton Avenue

Trustee Moor Lane

YORKSHIRE BANK LIMITED

3 Orchard Street

Title: Type: Address: Index Number and District: Hours: Telephone: Services: Manager:

11-94-60 Preston Friargate and Market Street Sub to 11-94-60 Preston 181 Friargate Preston PR1 2EL Lancashire 769 Manchester Mon to Fri 1000-1500 Saturday 0900-1130 Preston 56287 Nightsafe Installed Mr L Richards Manager

Preston 38 Fishergate

22 October 1923 3 January 1928 July 1941 1 February 1943 23 July 1956 15 December 1969 23 October 1991

Opened by the Bank of Liverpool and Martins Martins Bank Limited Upper Floors Requisitioned by the Ministry of Works Closed and used partly for storage by 38 Fishergate branch and building let partly to HM Customs and Excise Re-opened to customers as sub-branch to 38 Fishergate Barclays Bank Limited 20-69-85 Preston Closed permanently

Preston Lune Street (Temp)

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