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The Technical Services Department retains overall responsibility for many of the City of London's major construction and civil engineering projects. The Department includes the District Surveyor and the City Engineer. Both are concerned with building control and regulation, ensuring that all building work complies with the appropriate standards, that health and safety is not compromised and that the needs of people with disabilities are catered for.

The origins of building control date to 1667, when Parliament passed an Act for the rebuilding of London after the 1666 Great Fire. The Act set out to prevent a recurrence of the disaster and for the first time surveyors were appointed to ensure its requirements were not violated.

In the nineteenth century the District Surveyors Association was formed to ensure the uniformity and interpretation of building legislation throughout London, a role which continues to this day. Building Control today plays a major role in the realisation of a safe and healthy built environment and is a fundamental part of the overall success of modern construction within the City of London.

Lambeth Hospital had its origins in two institutions both built and administered by Lambeth Board of Guardians. These were Renfrew Road Workhouse opened in 1871 and Lambeth Infirmary, opened in 1876 on an adjoining site, but with its main entrance in Brook Drive. By 1922 the Lambeth Guardians had an excess of accommodation for the able bodied poor and too little for the sick. Consequently they amalgamated the two institutions under the control of the medical superintendent and matron of the infirmary, which was renamed Lambeth Hospital. The Hospital now provided the following services and facilities - a lying-in ward (until 1922 accommodated in Renfrew Road Workhouse), an antenatal clinic, VD wards, two large observation wards, two weekly sessions by an ophthalmic surgeon, a pathological laboratory and radium and deep x-ray apparatus. The Lambeth Guardians not only purchased the necessary equipment, but also sent Dr George Stebbing on a tour of European capitals to study radiotherapy.

As a result of the 1929 Local Government Act, from 1930 Lambeth Hospital came under the control of the London County Council. The LCC sought to create an integrated hospital service for London, concentrating certain specialised departments in particular hospitals. Lambeth Hospital lost its observation wards, but the development of the Radiotherapy department was encouraged. Mr Stebbing was appointed Surgeon specialist and Medical Officer in charge of the radiotherapy department. A Cardio-Vascular Unit was formed at Lambeth Hospital under the direction of Lord Dawson of Penn with Mr Lawrence O'Shaughnessy and Dr H.E.M. Mansell as medical officers. In the early 1930's a Uterine Cancer Unit was transferred from the North Western Hospital to Lambeth Hospital with its Medical Director, Sir Comyns Berkeley, and Mr Arnold Walker. A few years later Mr Stebbing absorbed the unit into the Radiotherapy Department. The LCC built a Nurses' Home in 1936, provided a new Maternity Block in 1938, and completed a Pathology Block in 1940. By 1939 Lambeth Hospital could accommodate 1,250 patients and was one of the three largest municipal hospitals in London. During the Second World War many air raid casualties were treated at the hospital, from which elderly, long term patients had been evacuated. Several bombs fell on the hospital killing ten members of staff and destroying two ward blocks, the kitchen, dining rooms and laundry. Three other ward blocks were badly damaged.

In 1948 Lambeth Hospital became part of the National Health Service administered by the South Western Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. It formed part of the Lambeth Group of hospitals, together with the South Western Hospital, South London Hospital for Women and Children, Annie McCall Maternity Hospital and from 1956, the Royal Eye Hospital. Money for the repair and replacement of war damaged buildings was, at first, scarce, but between 1960 and 1962 a new two storey block containing kitchens, dining rooms, and offices was constructed. In July 1964 the Lambeth Group of hospitals was dissolved. Lambeth Hospital became part of the Saint Thomas' Hospital Group, and then from 1974, part of the Saint Thomas' Health District (Teaching). In 1970 Lambeth Hospital was an acute, general hospital with 468 beds. A new twin operating theatre block had been completed in 1967 and a new Renal Unit opened in 1969. The hospital closed in 1976 on the opening of the new North Wing of Saint Thomas' Hospital. On part of the site of the hospital in Monkton Street, the Lambeth Community Care Centre was completed in 1985.

Poor relief was based on the Act for the Relief of the Poor of 1601 which obliged parishes to take care of the aged and needy in their area. Parish overseers were empowered to collect a local income tax known as the poor-rate which would be put towards the relief of the poor. This evolved into the rating system, where the amount of poor-rate charged was based on the value of a person's property. Early workhouses were constructed and managed by the parish. However, this process was expensive and various schemes were devised where groups of parishes could act together and pool their resources. As early as 1647 towns were setting up 'Corporations' of parishes. An Act of 1782, promoted by Thomas Gilbert, allowed adjacent parishes to combine into Unions and provide workhouses. These were known as 'Gilbert's Unions' and were managed by a board of Guardians.

Under the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, the Poor Law Commission was given the power to unite parishes in England and Wales into Poor Law Unions. Each Union was to be administered by a local Board of Guardians. Relief was to be provided through the provision of a workhouse. An amendment to the 1834 Act allowed already existing 'Gilbert's Unions' or Corporations of parishes to remain in existence, although they were encouraged to convert themselves into Poor Law Unions. Although there was some reorganisation of union boundaries, particularly in London, the majority of Unions created under the 1834 Act remained in operation until 1930. In March 1930 a new Local Government Bill abolished the Poor Law Unions and the Board of Guardians. Responsibility for their institutions passed to Public Assistance Committees managed by the county councils - in the metropolis either the London County Council or the Middlesex County Council.

From 1837 to 1845 Fulham parish was one of the parishes controlled by Kensington Poor Law Union. In 1845 it united with the parish of Hammersmith as Fulham Poor Law Union. However, in 1899 the Fulham Poor Law Union was dissolved and the Board of Guardians for the separate Parish of Fulham was constituted. The Fulham Palace Road Workhouse was constructed in 1848. In 1884 an infirmary was added to the north of the site, facing Saint Dunstan's Road.

In 1908 the Union took over management of school buildings in Sutton, renaming them the Belmont Workhouse. In the 1920s this institution began a scheme training inmates in key skills to improve their chances of gaining employment. When the London County Council took over the building it continued this work, renaming the institution the Sutton Training Centre.

Source of information: Peter Higginbotham at The Workhouse website.

In 1709 Josiah Bacon, a merchant from Bermondsey, left £700 in his will for the purchase of land with which to endow a school. According to the terms of his will, the school was to serve the poor boys of the parish, teaching them reading, writing and arithmetic so that they could be prepared for jobs in trade. The local minister and churchwardens were to be governors of the school. Provision was also made for accommodation for the school-master. The school was constructed on Grange Road by 1718.

In 1849 the school was amalgamated with another charity school in the area, which had been founded in 1612 to provide education for the sons of seamen. In 1991 the school became a City Technology College, with the name Bacon's College, and was moved to Rotherhithe. In 2007 it gained Academy status.

The National Provident Institution was formed in 1835 as a friendly society, modelled on the Friends Provident Institution, to offer life assurance to a wide range of people. Its first office was at 13 Nicholas Lane; in 1843 it moved to 48 Gracechurch Street and, in 1857 and 1859, 49 and 50 Gracechurch Street were acquired. The existing buildings were demolished and a new office constructed on the site which was opened on 15 December 1862. A new building, incorporating 3 Eastcheap, was erected on the site and opened as the Institution's Head Office in 1960.

In 1858, Henry Watson Parker became a partner in the solicitors' firm of Ellis and Clarke, of 2 Cowper's Court, Cornhill. Until 1868 the firm was then known as Ellis, Parker and Clarke, and in 1864 it moved its premises to the rectory house of St Michael Cornhill.

After 1869 the firm traded under the following styles:
1869-74: Parker and Clarke;
1875: Parker, Watney and Clarke;
1876-9: Parker and Clarke;
1880-1: Parker and Co;
1883-96: Parker, Garrett and Parker;
1897-1901: Parker, Garrett and Holman;
1902-9: Parker, Garrett, Holman and Howden;
1911 to c 1983: Parker, Garrett and Company.

In 1958, Parker, Garrett and Company took over the solicitors' firm of Rivington and Son, of 1 Fenchurch Buildings, 107 Fenchurch Street.

In circa 1983, Parker, Garrett and Company amalgamated with another firm, Taylor and Humbert, of 1 Raymond Buildings, Gray's Inn, to form Taylor, Garrett and Company. St Michael's rectory house was briefly retained as a branch office. In 1985, Taylor, Garrett and Company moved to 180 Fleet Street.

The founders of the firm were the brothers Richard and William Peek of Loddiswell, in Devon. Having come to London and gained experience of the tea trade, William launched W Peek and Company, tea merchants, circa 1810. By the 1820s, Richard had joined the concern and it was renamed Peek Brothers. Peek Brothers were principally engaged in the tea trade, although they handled coffee and spices as well, and manufactured cocoa and chocolate.

In 1834, William moved to Liverpool and launched a new enterprise with a new partner named Winch. Eventually, control of the firm was assumed by William's son Francis and by Winch's nephew, under the name Messrs Peek Brothers and Winch (later Francis Peek, Winch and Company). In the 1860s, they opened a branch in London in direct competition with the original Peek Brothers. Between 1863 and 1867, the Grocer published league tables of the leading firms of tea dealers based on the amount of duty each paid; Peek Brothers was the premier company, handling around 5% of the total trade, and Messrs Peek Brothers and Winch were also listed in the top four. The two Peek firms were reunited in 1895 and became a limited company, under the name Peek Brothers and Winch Limited.

The headquarters of Peek Brothers, and later Peek Brothers and Winch Limited, was Peek House, 20 Eastcheap, which still stands today, complete with a frieze on its facade depicting the camel train used as a trademark for the company's "Camel" brand of tea. The company continued trading until circa 1970, under the name Peek, Winch and Tod Limited, although no longer involved in the tea trade, and described in trade directories as general provision merchants.

Peek Brothers and later Peek Brothers and Winch Limited traded at the following principal addresses in London: 3 Tokenhouse Yard, 1818; 27 Coleman Street, 1819-22; 74 Coleman Street, 1823-34; Eastcheap, 1835-40; 27 Eastcheap, 1841-4; 20-1 Eastcheap, 1845-88; 20 Eastcheap (Peek House), 1889-1963.

Francis Peek, Winch and Company traded at the following London premises: 134 Fenchurch Street, 1863-5; 23 Rood Lane, 1865-80; and 3-4 Fenchurch Street, 1880-95. Throughout this period they also retained an office in Liverpool at 7 North John Street.

Phoenix Oil and Transport Company Limited was registered on 24 June 1920 to acquire various interests in Roumanian oil undertakings. In 1922 it acquired control of Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Limited and in 1926 Phoenix Oil Products Ltd.

In 1926 Phoenix Oil and Transport also acquired Orion S.A.R. de Petrol, which owned oilfields in Romania. Orion, although a Roumanian registered company, was a Dutch undertaking, formed in 1910. Unirea S.A.R. de Petrol, a wholly owned subsidiary of Phoenix Oil and Transport, was registered in Bucharest in 1920. Into it went the assets of several small English companies partially destroyed during the First World War.

Arbanash (Roumania) Oil Company Limited, incorporated in the United Kingdom in 1912, was the nominee through which Phoenix Oil and Transport held the whole of the issued capital of Unirea. In 1935 Unirea amalgamated with Orion and in 1938 with Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Limited, so that by this date all of Phoenix Oil and Transport's Roumanian interests were consolidated in Unirea and its subsidiaries.

The company's assets were in enemy hands from 1941 until early in 1945, although the Roumanian subsidiaries continued operating, despite aerial bombardment which caused serious damage to refineries, tankage and loading stations. Production in Roumania declined sharply from about a million tons in 1936 to 396,000 tons in 1945. Unirea was taken into Romanian state ownership in 1948.

Until 1946, a substantial interest in Phoenix Oil and Transport was held by General Mining and Finance Corporation Limited, which was represented on the board. Its interests were purchased in 1946 by Alpha Petrol Company of South Africa, and in 1948 the head office of Phoenix Oil and Transport moved to South Africa. On 27 February 1950 the company went into compulsory liquidation.

Phoenix Oil and Transport Company Limited had registered offices at 308 Winchester House, Old Broad Street, until 1923, then 6 Princes Street (1923-6), 9-13 Fenchurch Buildings, Fenchurch Street (1926-49) and 33 King William Street from 1949.

Arbanash (Roumania) Oil Company was incorporated in the UK in 1912. It was the nominee through which Phoenix Oil and Transport Company Limited held the capital of Unirea S.A.R. de Petrol, a Romanian registered oil company.

Orion SAR de Petrol owned oilfields in Romania. Although a Romanian registered company, it was a Dutch undertaking, formed in 1910. Orion was acquired by Phoenix Oil and Transport Company in 1926 and amalgamated with Unirea SAR de Petrol, a wholly owned subsidiary of Phoenix Oil and Transport Company, in 1935.

The Plywood Chest Association was formed in 1932 by a group of tea chest manufacturers and distributors to establish a quota selling scheme and for synchronisation of distribution. All meetings of the six members (Harrisons and Crosfield Limited, ACME Tea Chest Company Limited, Bobbins Limited (previously British plywood importers), Lea Elliott (London) Limited, Luralda Limited and Venesta Limited) were held at Harrisons and Crosfield Limited's offices. A branch of the Association, the Ceylon Plywood Chest Association, held its meetings at the offices of Harrisons and Crosfield Limited's Colombo branch.

The accounts date back to 1927 as the quota granted to each of the sellers was based on their respective shipments from Europe during the previous five years. Each seller was therefore required to submit figures of chest shipped 1927-32.

Founded in 1840 as the Provident Clerks' Mutual Benefit Association, its name changed in 1848 to the Provident Clerks' Mutual Life Assurance Association, in 1903 to the Provident Clerks' and General Mutual Life Assurance Association and in 1917 to the Provident Mutual Life Assurance Association.

It had offices at 12 Wormwood Street 1840, 60 King William Street 1840-5, 42 Moorgate Street 1845-54 and 15 (subsequently re-numbered as 27) Moorgate Street from 1854.

The Association specialised in the provision of assurance for office clerks, particularly through "staff schemes" negotiated with individual employers (such as the General Post Office and a number of railway companies).

William Morris and Son, stock and share brokers, were situated at 80 Old Broad Street, 1875-1881; 121 Bishopsgate Street within, 1883-91; 80 Lombard Street, 1893-1895; at other addresses to 1924, and at 10 and 12 Copthall Avenue, 1924-1948.

Whiteheads and Coles were stock and share brokers of 39 Throgmorton Street.

The firm of Read, Hurst-Brown and Company, stockbrokers, was formerly known as Read and Brigstock, which first appears in the Stock Exchange annual List of Members in 1894/5. Read and Brigstock traded from various addresses over the years, and latterly at 7 Birchin Lane, before changing its name to Read, Hurst-Brown and Company, still of 7 Birchin Lane, in 1950/1. Read, Hurst-Brown and Company continued at 7 Birchin Lane until 1976, when it merged with another stockbroking firm, Rowe and Pitman. In 1986 Rowe and Pitman was taken over by the merchant bank SG Warburg, and ceased to exist as a separate firm.

The company was established in 1824 and was also known as Asylum Life Office, and Asylum Foreign and Domestic Life Assurance Company. It amalgamated in 1857 with the London Assurance, which became a subsidiary of the Sun Alliance in 1965.

Birmingham Mutual Fire and General Insurance Association is the former name of Central Insurance Company (see CLC/B/192-10). Meetings were held at the company's offices at 12/13 Nicholas Lane until March 1907; thereafter at 1 Cornhill.

Meetings were held at the company's offices at 12/13 Nicholas Lane until March 1907; thereafter at 1 Cornhill.

The Company appears to have been founded c 1840, when the first surviving records begin. It was based at 5 Lothbury, 1840-63 and from then at 9-10 King Street, Cheapside. It became known as the England Assurance Institution in 1892. The following year it was acquired by Imperial Life Insurance Company. In 1902, Imperial Life was acquired by Alliance Assurance and this company merged with Sun Insurance to form Sun Alliance in 1959.

The County Fire Office was founded in 1807 by John Thomas Barber (from 1812 John Thomas Barber Beaumont) to conduct fire insurance business in county areas, specifically country-house and farming risks. It was originally established by 'an association of noblemen and gentlemen' from the counties of Bedford, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Yorkshire.

Each county (Yorkshire was treated as three counties) was allocated 250 shares at £100 each. No individual was allowed to hold more than ten shares. Five people were elected in each county as directors from holders of not less than five shares each; one retired annually to be replaced by another elected by ballot at annual county meetings.

A unique feature of the company was that each person who continued a policy for seven years, whether annual or septennial, was entitled to share in the profits of the concern without being liable to any losses. J T Barber was appointed the first managing director and upon his death in 1841 was succeeded by his son John Augustus Barber Beaumont. He retired in 1877 and was replaced by his son, Seymour Augustus Beaumont, until his suicide in 1906.

The County Fire Office was originally administered under a Deed of Settlement of 25 February 1808 and later amendments. It was registered as a limited company on 1 August 1905 and the business was acquired by the Alliance Assurance Company in 1906, but the name of the County Fire Office was retained.

The Company started business from the residence of J T Barber Beaumont at 25 Southampton Street, Covent Garden. On 1 Decemder 1819 it moved to 50 Regent Street, which remained its head office until 1970, except for a short period between October 1924 and June 1927 during the rebuilding of 50 Regent Street, when it moved to York House, 15 Regent Street. During the Second World War the business was conducted from Hindhead, Surrey. The name disappears from the London Directories after 1970.

Business was conducted through agents, and offices were gradually opened in major towns and cities throughout the U.K. Its offices in the City of London were at 2 Royal Exchange Buildings, 1849-1855; 78 Lombard Street, 1857-[1867]; 14 Cornhill, 1856-1909; and 4 Lombard Street, 1909-1941.

The Law Fire Insurance Society was established in 1845. From 1848-58 it had offices in 5-6 Chancery Lane and from 1859-1907 at 114 Chancery Lane. It was reconstituted and united with the Alliance Assurance Company in 1907; which later merged with the Sun Insurance Office to become Sun Alliance.

This firm of stockbrokers had its origin in the partnership established in 1827 between James Sheppard (1787-1855) and Charles Folger Starbuck (d 1841). The successors to this partnership subsequently merged with Scott and Company (1888), Price and Pott (1906), Harris and Company (1920) and Chase, Henderson and Tennant (1967).

The firm has traded under the following names:

• Sheppard and Starbuck, 1827-1846;
• Sheppard and Son, 1846-1853;
• Sheppard and Sons, 1853-1860;
• Sheppard, Pelly and Allcard, 1860-1888;
• Sheppards, Pellys, Scott and Company, 1888-1905;
• Sheppards, Pellys and Company, 1905-1906;
• Sheppards, Pelly, Price and Pott, 1906-1920;
• Sheppards and Company, 1920-1967;

• Sheppards and Chase, 1967-

  The firm has traded at the following addresses: 3 Spread Eagle Court, Finch Lane, 1827-49; 28 Threadneedle Street, 1849-1888; 57 Old Broad Street, 1888-1920; Gresham House, Old Broad Street, 1920-1964; Clement House, Gresham Street, 1964.

  Also deposited with the records of Sheppards and Chase and its predecessors were the records of several other stockbroking firms: Price and Pott; Scott, Corthorn and Scott; Cannon, Pelly and Allcard; George Davidge, and John H. Davidge. Some of these firms later merged with Sheppards and Chase; some had one or more of the partner(s) later join it; and some are of doubtful or unknown association.

  The partnership of Hall Rokeby Price and Henry Pott was established in about 1852. Price and Pott merged with Sheppards, Pellys and Company in 1906. The firm had premises at 7 Pope's Head Alley (c 1852-5); 3 Abchurch Lane (c 1855-65); 1 Cowper's Court, Cornhill (c 1865-1903) and 2 White Lion Court, Cornhill (from 1903).

  The firm of Scott, Corthorn and Scott appears in trade directories from around 1831. It had premises at 26 Change Alley (to c 1841); 16 Throgmorton Street (from c 1846) and 3 Drapers' Gardens (from 1883). W A W Scott, formerly of Scott, Corthorn and Scott, was the founder of Scott and Co, which merged with Sheppard, Pelly and Allcard in 1888.

  The partnership of Stephen Cannon, Percy Leonard Pelly and Edward Allcard was formed in 1858 with premises at 26 Tokenhouse Yard. Pelly and Allcard became partners in Sheppards and Sons in 1860.

  George Davidge and John H. Davidge were stockbrokers of 13 Finch Lane; their connection with Sheppards and Chase is unknown.

These papers were accumulated by Joseph Walter Vincent and retained by his son Basil Walter Vincent. They were partners in the firm of Sissons, Bersey, Gain, Vincent and Company, chartered accountants of 53 New Broad Street. This became, in 1943, Farrow, Bersey, Gain, Vincent and Company.

The company was established in 1891 and traded from premises at 3 Birchin Lane as discount bankers (1891-1910), and subsequently at 30-31 Clements Lane (1911-29) and 65 Cornhill, White Lion Court (1930-1986) . It was registered as a private company on February 26th 1932 and as a public company on June 30th 1943.

The Company was taken over in June 1986 by King and Shaxson of Cornhill, who retain custody of all the post-1960 records of Smith St. Aubyn and Company.

The Bank of British West Africa Ltd (BBWA) was registered as a limited liability company in March 1894. The Head Office was in Castle Street, Liverpool until 1910, 17 Leadenhall Street from 1910-22 and 37 Gracechurch Street thereafter. There had been a British bank in West Africa since 1891, run by the African Banking Corporation and then by Elder Dempster and Co, which was known from 1893 as the Bank of British West Africa. The Crown Agents for West Africa, however, were not prepared to let a private bank import silver or act as Government banker and their pressure resulted in the Bank's registration as a limited liability company.

Branches were set up first in Nigeria, then Sierra Leone, Ghana (Gold Coast) and the Gambia. Often agencies were established and run for a few years to ascertain the amount of business before the Bank committed itself to setting up a branch. In this way, BBWA expanded its remit with branches at Hamburg, Fernando Po (part of Equatorial Guinea) and the Canary Islands and in Morocco, Egypt and Cameroon. A New York agency was operated by Standard Bank of South Africa on BBWA's behalf.

In 1912 the Bank of British West Africa took over the business of the Bank of Nigeria, an early rival. (The records of the Bank of Nigeria prior to the take-over are listed separately as Mss 24523-4 [CLC/B/207-03]). The Bank's name changed in 1957 to Bank of West Africa Ltd because the old name evoked a colonial relationship which did not reflect the emergence of independent West African states. BBWA merged with Standard Bank of South Africa in 1966, resulting in another name: Standard Bank of West Africa. In 1969-71 separate companies were incorporated as Standard Bank of Nigeria, Standard Bank of Ghana and Standard Bank of Sierra Leone. The business of the Bank of West Africa in the UK was transferred to Standard Bank in 1973 and the branches in Cameroon were closed in 1974. Standard Bank of West Africa Limited continued with two branches in Gambia until 1978 when it was taken over by Standard Bank of the Gambia.

Geographical range: Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Cameroon and Canary Islands.

The African Banking Corporation was established in 1890 as a British limited company, based in London, to provide banking services in British South Africa. It took over much of the staff, premises and business of the former Cape of Good Hope Bank. During 1891 and 1892 the Corporation absorbed three local banks, the Western Province Bank, the Kaffrarian Colonial Bank and the Worcester Commercial Bank. The Corporation itself was taken over in 1921 by the Standard Bank of South Africa.

The offices of the Corporation were at 43-46 Threadneedle Street, 1891-1905, and 63 London Wall, 1906-20.

Glazebrook, Steel and Company Limited, merchants and shippers of Manchester, was formed in 1884 to supply Bombay with Lancashire textiles. The business was originally named Wallace and Company, Manchester, England and was created by Alexander and Robert Walllace. Until 1931, Wallace Brothers had a substantial shareholding in the Company and the right to nominate the governing director. After 1931 the shareholding was reduced but Wallace Brothers continued to maintain close links with the company.

Wallace Evans and Company Limited was registered in 1963. Later became Wallace Brothers Commodities Limited in 1967.

Leslie and Anderson Limited were an investment dealing company, importing house and exporters of produce. In 1952 Wallace Brothers, through Wyer and Hawke, joined in the operations of Leslie and Anderson Limited which opened up considerable investment opportunities in Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda and Zanzibar.

Wallace Brothers Nominees Limited, incorporated in 1969, was a nominee company based at 165 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 3DD.

Wallace Brothers Finance Limited, incorporated in 1964, was an investment dealing company based at 38 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4DE.

The Eastern Bank Limited was founded in London as a limited company at the end of 1909 as a new Eastern 'exchange' bank, to help finance trade with the East. As well as the Head Office in London, which exercised close day-to-day control, it had two overseas branches. established in 1910 in Bombay and Calcutta. From the start the Bank had a number of powerful institutional shareholders, including the Eastern trading house, E D Sassoon.

In the mid 1950s the Calcutta branch of the bank made several loans to the Mundhra group of companies, owned by Haridas Mundhra. The group included the Brahmapootra Tea Company (India) Limited; Osler Electric Lamp Manufacturing Company Limited; F&C Osler (India) Limited; Richardson & Cruddas Limited; and the British India Corporation.

Haridas Mundhra borrowed in excess of a quarter of a million pounds from Eastern Bank, and subsequently underwent civil and criminal prosecution in India. The manager of the Calcutta branch resigned, and was prosecuted in India for falsifying stautory banking returns. The total loss to Eastern Bank was around £750, 000.

The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, known from 1956 as The Chartered Bank, was established by Royal Charter in 1853. It was an overseas exchange bank, based in and controlled from the City of London. It was established to take advantage of the end of the East India Company's monopoly in 1853.

The bank operated in India and throughout the Far East - in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Siam [Thailand], Burma [Myanmar], Singapore, Malacca, Penang and the Malay States, the Philippines, Japan, Java, Sumatra, Ceylon [Sri Lanka], North Borneo, Brunei, Sarawak, Pakistan and East Pakistan. There were also branches in New York [United States of America] and Hamburg [Germany]. Despite its name, the bank never operated in Australia.

Further UK branches opened in Manchester (1937) and Liverpool (1948). The bank gained a second London office and additional branches in India, Pakistan, China and Ceylon with the takeover in 1938 of the P and O Banking Corporation Limited.

The bank's activities in the Far East were severely disrupted by World War Two and nationalist post-war governments in the region. The takeover in 1957 of rival Eastern Bank Limited presented new opportunities. Eastern Bank was active in Chartered Bank's traditional areas of operation, but also had branches in the Middle East - in Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, Lebanon, Qatar, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman. In the same year, Chartered Bank purchased the Ionian Bank's interests in Cyprus.

The bank operated from various City of London addresses: 1852 first two meetings of directors at 8 Austin Friars; November 1852 offices acquired at 21 Moorgate. December 1853-1855 rented offices at South Sea House, Threadneedle Street. 1855 rented offices at 34 Gresham House, Old Broad Street. June 1857-1866 rented offices in the City Bank building at Threadneedle Street. 1867 Former Hatton Court building on Threadneedle Street. In 1909 they moved into newly built premises on the former site of Crosby Hall where they were still at the time of the merger with Standard Bank in 1969 to form Standard Chartered Bank.

The Chartered Bank's operations were governed by the original charter and deed of settlement and the subsequent revisions and renewals of these documents. The bank, which due to the charter operated with a limited liability (a priviledge not open to shareholders of an ordinary joint stock bank until 1858) was was led by a board of directors, elected by the shareholders and themselves shareholders who were based in London and who directed operations via managers, accountants and inspectors who were employed in the overseas branch and agency network.

The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, known from 1956 as The Chartered Bank, was established by Royal Charter in 1853. It was an overseas exchange bank, based in and controlled from the City of London. It was established to take advantage of the end of the East India Company's monopoly in 1853.

The bank operated in India and throughout the Far East - in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Siam [Thailand], Burma [Myanmar], Singapore, Malacca, Penang and the Malay States, the Philippines, Japan, Java, Sumatra, Ceylon [Sri Lanka], North Borneo, Brunei, Sarawak, Pakistan and East Pakistan. There were also branches in New York [United States of America] and Hamburg [Germany]. Despite its name, the bank never operated in Australia.

Further UK branches opened in Manchester (1937) and Liverpool (1948). The bank gained a second London office and additional branches in India, Pakistan, China and Ceylon with the takeover in 1938 of the P and O Banking Corporation.

The bank's activities in the Far East were severely disrupted by World War Two and nationalist post-war governments in the region. The takeover in 1957 of rival Eastern Bank presented new opportunities. Eastern Bank was active in Chartered Bank's traditional areas of operation, but also had branches in the Middle East - in Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, Lebanon, Qatar, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman. In the same year, Chartered Bank purchased the Ionian Bank's interests in Cyprus.

The bank operated from various City of London addresses: 1852 first two meetings of directors at 8 Austin Friars; November 1852 offices acquired at 21 Moorgate. December 1853- 1855 rented offices at South Sea House, Threadneedle Street. 1855 rented offices at 34 Gresham House, Old Broad Street. June 1857-1866 rented offices in the City Bank building at Threadneedle Street. 1867 Former Hatton Court building on Threadneedle Street. In 1909 they moved into newly built premises on the former site of Crosby Hall where they were still at the time of the merger with Chartered Bank in 1969.

For further information on the history of the bank see Sir Compton Mackenzie, Realms of silver: one hundred years of banking in the East (London, 1954) and Geoffrey Jones, British multinational banking 1830-1990 (Oxford, 1993).

The bank's legal department operated from its Head Office in London, and was responsible for dealing with a wide variety of legal cases and issues for the bank. For much of its work, staff in the Legal department would work in tandem with the bank's appointed firm of solicitors. Much cross-over between the work of the Legal, Inspection and Secretary's departments can be noted, as all three would be involved if cases of bankruptcy or liquidation of a bank customer took place, or if a legal action was filed against the bank by a customer.

The first legal assistance the Chartered Bank received was from solicitors Phillips and Sons, 11 Abchurch Lane, City of London, who at the time were solicitors acting primarily for large firms in the City and advised the bank at the time of its first approaches to gain a Royal Charter. By November 1852, Messrs Oliverson, Lavie and Peachey had taken over this role which they held until December 1864, when a decision was made by the bank's Board of Directors to cease the employment of the firm.

In November 1871 the bank appointed Linklaters and Company as their solicitors, who acted on their behalf well into the second-half of the Twentieth Century as Linklaters and Paines.

The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, known from 1956 as The Chartered Bank, was established by Royal Charter in 1853. It was an overseas exchange bank, based in and controlled from the City of London. It was established to take advantage of the end of the East India Company's monopoly in 1853.

The bank operated in India and throughout the Far East - in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Siam [Thailand], Burma [Myanmar], Singapore, Malacca, Penang and the Malay States, the Philippines, Japan, Java, Sumatra, Ceylon [Sri Lanka], North Borneo, Brunei, Sarawak, Pakistan and East Pakistan. There were also branches in New York [United States of America] and Hamburg [Germany]. Despite its name, the bank never operated in Australia.

Further UK branches opened in Manchester (1937) and Liverpool (1948). The bank gained a second London office and additional branches in India, Pakistan, China and Ceylon with the takeover in 1938 of the P and O Banking Corporation.

The bank's activities in the Far East were severely disrupted by World War II and nationalist post-war governments in the region. The takeover in 1957 of rival Eastern Bank presented new opportunities. Eastern Bank was active in Chartered Bank's traditional areas of operation, but also had branches in the Middle East - in Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, Lebanon, Qatar, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman. In the same year, Chartered Bank purchased the Ionian Bank's interests in Cyprus.

The bank operated from various City of London addresses: 1852 first two meetings of directors at 8 Austin Friars; November 1852 offices acquired at 21 Moorgate. December 1853 - 1855 rented offices at South Sea House, Threadneedle Street. 1855 rented offices at 34 Gresham House, Old Broad Street. June 1857 - 1866 rented offices in the City Bank building at Threadneedle Street. 1867 Former Hatton Court building on Threadneedle Street. In 1909 they moved into newly built premises on the former site of Crosby Hall where they were still at the time of the merger with Chartered Bank in 1969.

For further information on the history of the bank see Sir Compton Mackenzie, Realms of silver: one hundred years of banking in the East (London, 1954) and Geoffrey Jones, British multinational banking 1830-1990 (Oxford, 1993).

The first branch to be opened was in Calcutta [Kolkata], India in 1858. The branches were initially established with a manager and an accountant with a number of clerks, all answerable to head office in London. The aim of the Directors was to open a network of branches across India and the Far East, especially in major ports and gradually the network was expanded to achieve this goal. By 1969 there were over 130 branches and agencies in 17 different countries.

The bank was established in 1828 as Leslie and Grindlay, agents and bankers to the British army and business community in India. It changed its name to Grindlay, Christian and Matthews in 1839 and again to Grindlay and Company in 1843. Branch firms were opened at Calcutta in 1854 and at Bombay in 1865. From 1908 these firms became branches and were from then on administered directly from London. Additional branches were opened at Simla (1912), Delhi (1923), Lahore (1924) and Peshawar (1926). National Provincial Bank Limited acquired the bank in 1924, but it continued to operate as a separate private limited company under the title of Grindlay and Company Limited. In 1942 it took over Thomas Cook amd Son (Bankers) Limited (established 1924), extending its business to Burma and Ceylon. It was renamed Grindlays Bank Limited in 1947.

National Provincial Bank’s interest was sold to National Bank of India Limited in 1948. After 1948 the two banks operated separately until merging in 1958 under the title of National Overseas and Grindlays Bank Limited.

In 1968 National Provincial Bank sold its shareholding to Lloyds Bank. The bank was renamed National and Grindlays Bank Ltd in 1959, Grindlays Bank Limited in 1975 and Grindlays Bank plc in 1982. In 1984 the bank was acquired by Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, and was renamed ANZ Grindlays Bank in 1989.

Source of information: Royal Bank of Scotland Limited's 'Heritage Hub' website, [http://heritagearchives.rbs.com/companies/list/grindlays-bank-ltd.html] Viewed on 16 December 2013

The P & O Banking Corporation Limited was established in 1920 by James MacKay (later Lord Inchcape) to develop the private banking business of the P & O Company. Under MacKay's stewardship (as Managing Director from 1914 and Chairman from 1915) the P & O had expanded rapidly, acquiring the British India Company amongst many others, and the bank was to be both a commercial venture and a device to manage the financial interests of the business.

On its establishment the Corporation acquired Allahabad Bank in India and opened offices in Colombo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Canton (now Guangzhou). Allahabad Bank was always operated as a subsidiary, and wasn't absorbed into the central organisation of the P & O Banking Corporation. The Corporation later expanded further in India under its own name, in Calicut (now Kozhikode in Kerala), Bombay and Madras (and the surrounding region). Lloyds and National Provincial bought shares in the new Corporation, reflecting the expectancy that a bank backed by the P & O would be a success.

In 1927 the Chartered Bank of India, China and Asia acquired seventy five percent of the Corporation's shares, effectively rendering the P & O Banking Corporation a subsidiary. In 1928 Chartered took over most of the remaining shareholding, and many of its Directors were elected to the Board of the Corporation in the subsequent years.

The P & O continued as a subsidiary company of the Chartered Bank for a further decade, though the Chartered Bank became dissatisfied with its performance. While the P & O had some merits as an institution (especially the business that came from the associated companies of the wider P & O group, and the success of Allahabad Bank in northern India), as a latecomer in international banking it often had to take on clients that existing institutions had refused. Furthermore many of the Corporation's branches existed in locations (such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and Bombay) that were served by other banks, including the Chartered Bank. With the down turn of the world economy in the 1930s the P & O was operating in a reduced market place as a direct competitor to the branches of its parent company for considerably reduced profit, an untenable position for the Corporation and its owner.

The Chartered Bank of India, China and Australia took the decision to liquidate The P & O Banking Corporation in 1938. The liquidation date was set for 31 January 1939, when the bank's branches closed and the liquid assets were transferred to the Chartered Bank (it appears that they were transferred to the nearest branch of the Chartered Bank in many cases).

The Corporation's headquarters in Leadenhall Street, London, remained open as a branch of Chartered, and appears to have handled the final breaking up of the bank's assets, and the longer term issues around the dissolution of the Corporation.

P & O Banking Corporation Nominees (the subsidiary that handled the shares owned by the Bank) continued in name until the late 1960s. Allahabad Bank continued to be run separately as a subsidiary of Chartered Bank, as the nature of its business kept it as a viable business in its own right. It was nationalised by the Indian Government in 1969, and still exists as a private body.

Geographical range:

India, Sri Lanka, China and Singapore

In 1896 the Bank of British West Africa (later the Bank of West Africa) opened in Ghana. In 1966 the Standard Bank merged with the Bank of West Africa and in September 1970 the Standard Bank Ghana Limited was incorporated, by virtue of government decree, as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Standard Bank. In 1969, the Standard Bank merged with Chartered Bank to become Standard Chartered Banking Group Limited, from 1985 the Standard Chartered Bank PLC which (as at 2013) owns 80% of the Standard Bank Ghana Limited with the remaining 20% being stock trading on the Ghana Stock Exchange.

FOUNDATION AND NAME CHANGES

On 3 June 1857 a prospectus committee met in Port Elizabeth, led by John Paterson, to draft a prospectus for a new bank in the region. This early prospectus was reviewed over the next two years to create a vision of a bank which would be established in Port Elizabeth and which would grow through the acquisition of as many of the existing unitary banks in the region with a head office in London. In 1859 Paterson travelled to London to promote interest in the venture. On 15 October 1862 'The Standard Bank of British South Africa Limited' was incorporated and the first formal meeting of the inaugural board of directors was held on the 18 October 1862. The bank commenced buiness on 20 February 1863 in premises in Port Elizabeth - formerly offices of the Commercial Bank of Port Elizabeth with which the Standard had merged, the branch under the management of James Tudhope, also formerly of the Commercial Bank. In reflection of the growth of the network of branches and a change in the articles of association to allow the bank to operate outside of British controlled areas in 1881 the name of the bank was changed to 'The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited'. In 1962 the name was changed to 'The Standard Bank Limited' for operations outside South Africa with 'The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited' continuing to run as a wholly owned subsidary in South Africa.

BRANCH EXPANSION

The bank expanded its network with branches across South, East and Central Africa responding to the economic development and growth of the regions. From the first branch in Port Elizabeth the bank expanded quickly across Cape Province and by 4 January 1864 the first branch at Cape Town had opened. Outside of Cape Province the bank expanded into Natal [South Africa] opening the first branch in the region at Durban on 22 June 1863 (Manager James Alexander). The first branch in the Orange Free State opened at Bloemfontein in October 1863 (closed March 1865, reopened 26 March 1900). The Standard Bank was the first to open on the Diamond Fields in Griqua Land West [South Africa] with a branch at Klipdrift [Barkley West] opening on 12 November 1870 and the first on the Gold Fields in Transvaal with a branches at Potchefstroom and Pretoria opening in May 1877 (Manager Hugh Crawford); On 16 January 1890 the bank opened in Bechuanaland [Botswana] with a branch at Mafeking. In Rhodesia the first branch at Salisbury opened on 29 July 1892 (Manager John Boyne) and a branch opening on 4 May 1894 at Bulawayo was the first in the Matebeleland district (Manager Alexander Thain). A branch was opened in Portuguese East Africa [Mozambique] on 20 August 1894 at Delagoa Bay, Lourenco Marques. The first branch in Basutoland [Kingdom of Lesotho] opened in 1901. On 29 April 1901 the bank opened in Nyasaland [Malawi] with a branch at Blantyre (Manager H T Lewis); In Northern Rhodesia [Zambia] the bank opened at Kalomo in March 1906. In January 1911 the first branches in British East Africa [Kenya] were opened at Nairobi and Mombassa by J. J. Toogood, closely followed by further East African expansion with a branch opening on 20 August 1912 by J J Swanson in Uganda at Kampala. In August 1915 the bank opened branches in the former German territories in South West Africa [Namibia] at Luderitzbutch, Swakopmund and Windhoek and the former German East Africa [Tanzania] opening in 1916 at Dar-es -Salaam. Outside Africa agencies were opened at Hamburg in Germany (15 November 1904) and in New York (1 February 1905); a branch in the City of London was opened at London Wall and on 2 December 1918 a further branch was opened in the London West End at Northumberland Avenue.

PREMISES

In the City of London the bank first had premises in Moorgate Street and then at 101 Cannon Street before acquiring permanent premises in 1867 at 10 Clement's Lane.

In Africa the offices and operations were established at Port Elizabeth [South Africa] in 1863; In 1883 on the appointment of Joint General Managers a second administrative head office was opened at Cape Town. On 31 December 1885 the Port Elizabeth headquarters were closed and all administration transferred to Cape Town. In 1952 headquarters moved to Pretoria and in 1959 moved again to Johannesburg.

In Africa daily operations were managed from the administrative head quarters. Robert Stewart (General Manager 1864 - 1875) increased headquarter control over the early network of branches and erradicated the initial system of local boards of directors and local autonomy instead making himself the conduit implementing all executive orders issued from London and ensuing all regions were answerable to the South African General Manager. Decentralisation of Cape authority began in 1926 when the East African Superintendent began reporting direct to London rather than via the Cape and continued in the 1950s when, in 1953 a number of local boards were established. In 1956 the local board for Rhodesia and Nyasaland began to report direct to London. In 1962 the banks operations in South Africa were transferred to a subsidiary Company retaining the name, 'Standard Bank of South Africa Limited' whilst across the rest of Africa the name was changed simply to 'Standard Bank Limited'

ACQUISITIONS

The progressive expansion of the bank had been aided by its acquisitions of a number of local banks. In 1863 the Standard acquired the Commercial Bank of Port Elizabeth, Colesberg Bank, British Kaffrarian Bank and the Beaufort West Bank. In 1864 the Fort Beaufort and Victoria Bank was acquired. The 1870s saw the acquisition of the Albert Bank (1874), the Swellendam Bank (1877), The London and South Africa Bank (1877), the Caledon Agricultural Bank (1878) and the Malmesbury Agricultural and Commerical Bank (1878). In 1890 the Wellington Bank was acquired, in 1920 the African Banking Corporation was acquired and in 1966 the bank merged with the Bank of West Africa. In 1969 the Standard Bank merged with the Chartered Bank to create the Standard Chartered Banking Group Limited.

CORPORATE

The Standard bank's operations were governed by the original memorandum and articles of association, with subsequent amendments. The business being directed by the London Board of Directors whose orders and directions were disseminated throughout the branch network by the London Manager and the General Manager(s) in Africa.

FOUNDATION AND NAME CHANGES

On 3 June 1857 a prospectus committee met in Port Elizabeth, led by John Paterson, to draft a prospectus for a new bank in the region. This early prospectus was reviewed over the next two years to create a vision of a bank which would be established in Port Elizabeth and which would grow through the acquisition of as many of the existing unitary banks in the region with a head office in London. In 1859 Paterson travelled to London to promote interest in the venture. On 15 October 1862 'The Standard Bank of British South Africa Limited' was incorporated and the first formal meeting of the inaugural board of directors was held on the 18 October 1862. The bank commenced buiness on 20 February 1863 in premises in Port Elizabeth - formerly offices of the Commercial Bank of Port Elizabeth with which the Standard had merged, the branch under the management of James Tudhope, also formerly of the Commercial Bank. In reflection of the growth of the network of branches and a change in the articles of association to allow the bank to operate outside of British controlled areas in 1881 the name of the bank was changed to 'The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited'. In 1962 the name was changed to 'The Standard Bank Limited' for operations outside South Africa with 'The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited' continuing to run as a wholly owned subsidary in South Africa.

BRANCH EXPANSION

The bank expanded its network with branches across South, East and Central Africa responding to the economic development and growth of the regions. From the first branch in Port Elizabeth the bank expanded quickly across Cape Province and by 4 January 1864 the first branch at Cape Town had opened. Outside of Cape Province the bank expanded into Natal [South Africa] opening the first branch in the region at Durban on 22 June 1863 (Manager James Alexander). The first branch in the Orange Free State opened at Bloemfontein in October 1863 (closed March 1865, reopened 26 March 1900). The Standard Bank was the first to open on the Diamond Fields in Griqua Land West [South Africa] with a branch at Klipdrift [Barkley West] opening on 12 November 1870 and the first on the Gold Fields in Transvaal with a branches at Potchefstroom and Pretoria opening in May 1877 (Manager Hugh Crawford); On 16 January 1890 the bank opened in Bechuanaland [Botswana] with a branch at Mafeking. In Rhodesia the first branch at Salisbury opened on 29 July 1892 (Manager John Boyne) and a branch opening on 4 May 1894 at Bulawayo was the first in the Matebeleland district (Manager Alexander Thain). A branch was opened in Portuguese East Africa [Mozambique] on 20 August 1894 at Delagoa Bay, Lourenco Marques. The first branch in Basutoland [Kingdom of Lesotho] opened in 1901. On 29 April 1901 the bank opened in Nyasaland [Malawi] with a branch at Blantyre (Manager H T Lewis); In Northern Rhodesia [Zambia] the bank opened at Kalomo in March 1906. In January 1911 the first branches in British East Africa [Kenya] were opened at Nairobi and Mombassa by J. J. Toogood, closely followed by further East African expansion with a branch opening on 20 August 1912 by J J Swanson in Uganda at Kampala. In August 1915 the bank opened branches in the former German territories in South West Africa [Namibia] at Luderitzbutch, Swakopmund and Windhoek and the former German East Africa [Tanzania] opening in 1916 at Dar-es -Salaam. Outside Africa agencies were opened at Hamburg in Germany (15 November 1904) and in New York (1 February 1905); a branch in the City of London was opened at London Wall and on 2 December 1918 a further branch was opened in the London West End at Northumberland Avenue.

PREMISES

In the City of London the bank first had premises in Moorgate Street and then at 101 Cannon Street before acquiring permanent premises in 1867 at 10 Clement's Lane.

In Africa the offices and operations were established at Port Elizabeth [South Africa] in 1863; In 1883 on the appointment of Joint General Managers a second administrative head office was opened at Cape Town. On 31 December 1885 the Port Elizabeth headquarters were closed and all administration transferred to Cape Town. In 1952 headquarters moved to Pretoria and in 1959 moved again to Johannesburg.

In Africa daily operations were managed from the administrative head quarters. Robert Stewart (General Manager 1864 - 1875) increased headquarter control over the early network of branches and erradicated the initial system of local boards of directors and local autonomy instead making himself the conduit implementing all executive orders issued from London and ensuing all regions were answerable to the South African General Manager. Decentralisation of Cape authority began in 1926 when the East African Superintendent began reporting direct to London rather than via the Cape and continued in the 1950s when, in 1953 a number of local boards were established. In 1956 the local board for Rhodesia and Nyasaland began to report direct to London. In 1962 the banks operations in South Africa were transferred to a subsidiary Company retaining the name, 'Standard Bank of South Africa Limited' whilst across the rest of Africa the name was changed simply to 'Standard Bank Limited'

ACQUISITIONS

The progressive expansion of the bank had been aided by its acquisitions of a number of local banks. In 1863 the Standard acquired the Commercial Bank of Port Elizabeth, Colesberg Bank, British Kaffrarian Bank and the Beaufort West Bank. In 1864 the Fort Beaufort and Victoria Bank was acquired. The 1870s saw the acquisition of the Albert Bank (1874), the Swellendam Bank (1877), The London and South Africa Bank (1877), the Caledon Agricultural Bank (1878) and the Malmesbury Agricultural and Commerical Bank (1878). In 1890 the Wellington Bank was acquired, in 1920 the African Banking Corporation was acquired and in 1966 the bank merged with the Bank of West Africa. In 1969 the Standard Bank merged with the Chartered Bank to create the Standard Chartered Banking Group Limited.

FOUNDATION AND NAME CHANGES

On 3 June 1857 a prospectus committee met in Port Elizabeth, led by John Paterson, to draft a prospectus for a new bank in the region. This early prospectus was reviewed over the next two years to create a vision of a bank which would be established in Port Elizabeth and which would grow through the acquisition of as many of the existing unitary banks in the region with a head office in London. In 1859 Paterson travelled to London to promote interest in the venture. On 15 October 1862 'The Standard Bank of British South Africa Limited' was incorporated and the first formal meeting of the inaugural board of directors was held on the 18 October 1862. The bank commenced buiness on 20 February 1863 in premises in Port Elizabeth - formerly offices of the Commercial Bank of Port Elizabeth with which the Standard had merged, the branch under the management of James Tudhope, also formerly of the Commercial Bank. In reflection of the growth of the network of branches and a change in the articles of association to allow the bank to operate outside of British controlled areas in 1881 the name of the bank was changed to 'The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited'. In 1962 the name was changed to 'The Standard Bank Limited' for operations outside South Africa with 'The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited' continuing to run as a wholly owned subsidary in South Africa.

BRANCH EXPANSION

The bank expanded its network with branches across South, East and Central Africa responding to the economic development and growth of the regions. From the first branch in Port Elizabeth the bank expanded quickly across Cape Province and by 4 January 1864 the first branch at Cape Town had opened. Outside of Cape Province the bank expanded into Natal [South Africa] opening the first branch in the region at Durban on 22 June 1863 (Manager James Alexander). The first branch in the Orange Free State opened at Bloemfontein in October 1863 (closed March 1865, reopened 26 March 1900). The Standard Bank was the first to open on the Diamond Fields in Griqua Land West [South Africa] with a branch at Klipdrift [Barkley West] opening on 12 November 1870 and the first on the Gold Fields in Transvaal with a branches at Potchefstroom and Pretoria opening in May 1877 (Manager Hugh Crawford); On 16 January 1890 the bank opened in Bechuanaland [Botswana] with a branch at Mafeking. In Rhodesia the first branch at Salisbury opened on 29 July 1892 (Manager John Boyne) and a branch opening on 4 May 1894 at Bulawayo was the first in the Matebeleland district (Manager Alexander Thain). A branch was opened in Portuguese East Africa [Mozambique] on 20 August 1894 at Delagoa Bay, Lourenco Marques. The first branch in Basutoland [Kingdom of Lesotho] opened in 1901. On 29 April 1901 the bank opened in Nyasaland [Malawi] with a branch at Blantyre (Manager H T Lewis); In Northern Rhodesia [Zambia] the bank opened at Kalomo in March 1906. In January 1911 the first branches in British East Africa [Kenya] were opened at Nairobi and Mombassa by J. J. Toogood, closely followed by further East African expansion with a branch opening on 20 August 1912 by J J Swanson in Uganda at Kampala. In August 1915 the bank opened branches in the former German territories in South West Africa [Namibia] at Luderitzbutch, Swakopmund and Windhoek and the former German East Africa [Tanzania] opening in 1916 at Dar-es -Salaam. Outside Africa agencies were opened at Hamburg in Germany (15 November 1904) and in New York (1 February 1905); a branch in the City of London was opened at London Wall and on 2 December 1918 a further branch was opened in the London West End at Northumberland Avenue.

PREMISES

In the City of London the bank first had premises in Moorgate Street and then at 101 Cannon Street before acquiring permanent premises in 1867 at 10 Clement's Lane.

In Africa the offices and operations were established at Port Elizabeth [South Africa] in 1863; In 1883 on the appointment of Joint General Managers a second administrative head office was opened at Cape Town. On 31 December 1885 the Port Elizabeth headquarters were closed and all administration transferred to Cape Town. In 1952 headquarters moved to Pretoria and in 1959 moved again to Johannesburg.

In Africa daily operations were managed from the administrative head quarters. Robert Stewart (General Manager 1864 - 1875) increased headquarter control over the early network of branches and erradicated the initial system of local boards of directors and local autonomy instead making himself the conduit implementing all executive orders issued from London and ensuing all regions were answerable to the South African General Manager. Decentralisation of Cape authority began in 1926 when the East African Superintendent began reporting direct to London rather than via the Cape and continued in the 1950s when, in 1953 a number of local boards were established. In 1956 the local board for Rhodesia and Nyasaland began to report direct to London. In 1962 the banks operations in South Africa were transferred to a subsidiary Company retaining the name, 'Standard Bank of South Africa Limited' whilst across the rest of Africa the name was changed simply to 'Standard Bank Limited'

ACQUISITIONS

The progressive expansion of the bank had been aided by its acquisitions of a number of local banks. In 1863 the Standard acquired the Commercial Bank of Port Elizabeth, Colesberg Bank, British Kaffrarian Bank and the Beaufort West Bank. In 1864 the Fort Beaufort and Victoria Bank was acquired. The 1870s saw the acquisition of the Albert Bank (1874), the Swellendam Bank (1877), The London and South Africa Bank (1877), the Caledon Agricultural Bank (1878) and the Malmesbury Agricultural and Commerical Bank (1878). In 1890 the Wellington Bank was acquired, in 1920 the African Banking Corporation was acquired and in 1966 the bank merged with the Bank of West Africa. In 1969 the Standard Bank merged with the Chartered Bank to create the Standard Chartered Banking Group Limited.

BRANCHES AND AGENCIES

The bank's early policy on geographical expansion closely followed the Scottish system favoured by Robert Stewart of opening a branch in every town of any importance, even if the initial results were likely to be negligible. It was thought that a far-flung branch system with wide meshes would spread the risks evenly over the whole country. As the bank acquired many of its local rivals and spread quickly across South Africa, by 1864 it had 15 branches open in the area.

This firm of Russia merchants, known from 1810 as Stratton, Gibson and Fuller, had premises at 3 Russia Court, Leadenhall Street, (to 1801) and 9 Great St Helens (from 1802).

The firm was principally concerned with the import and sale of linen and other commodities from St Petersburg, Russia, to London. They also acted as London brokers to some provincial merchants, which involved them in coastal trade, and arranged insurance against fire, loss at sea and capture.

The roots of the firm can be traced in trade directories back at least to 1754, to the partnership of Stratton and Rodbard, linen drapers and merchants of Aldgate Within (to ca. 1758), Leadenhall Street (from ca. 1760) and 3 Russia Court, Leadenhall Street (from ca. 1768). The firm was subsequently styled as Stratton and Pieschall (1782-90), Stratton, Gibson and Schonberg (1792-97), Stratton and Gibson (1798-1810) and Stratton, Gibson and Fuller (1810-ca.1822). The firm ceases to appear in trade directories after 1822.

The material was collected by the firm of Thomas, James and Thomas Powell, leather and hide factors, of 36 Lime Street and London Bridge.

Tribble, Pearson and Company, East India and general merchants, was formed in 1914 on the dissolution of the partnership of Daponte, Tribble and Pearson, formed in 1908 by Christophe Daponte, Herbert Sidney Tribble and Thomas Edward Pearson.

Daponte had started trading as an East India and general merchant at 86 Leadenhall Street in 1897. With the exception of four notifications of trademark registration (in Ms 18225) and a telegraphic code book (Ms 18234) no records for the period before 1914 are known to have survived.

The sequence of partnerships in the company from 1914 to 1929 can be traced in the partnership agreements (in Ms 18214). In 1934 the company was bequeathed to George William Church who carried on the business until his death in 1975, and all the surviving records of the company were deposited by his widow in 1977. Few records created before 29 December 1940 survive as on that date the company's office at 88 Fenchurch Street and most of its contents were destroyed by enemy action (see Ms 18237).

The company specialised in metal goods, chemicals, paints and building materials and traded from the following addresses: 86 Leadenhall Street, 1914-29; 88 Fenchurch Street, 1929-40; 107 Leadenhall Street, 1941-44; 101 Leadenhall Street, 1944-59; 114 Creighton Avenue, N.2., 1959-75.

The origins of Turquand Youngs and Company of 41 Coleman Street, accountants, go back to c 1840. In 1857 three London firms of accountants, namely J E Coleman and Company (established c 1840), Turquand and Edwards (established c 1850) and Youngs and Company (established c 1840), combined to form Coleman, Turquand, Youngs and Company. On the death of J E Coleman in 1869, the firm became known as Turquand Youngs and Company and remained so until the mid-20th century. The firm was a predecessor of Ernst and Young.

A. Hunt and Company were office fitters and furnishers of 11 Bell Yard, Gracechurch Street.

The Government Commodities Fire Insurance Scheme was set up in May 1940 to protect valuable raw commodities during the Second World War. The Associated Fire Insurers (Government Commodities) Management Committee (based at 66 Cheapside) advised the Government, through the Ministry of Supply, Board of Trade, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, UK Dominion Wool Disposals Limited and the Raw Cotton Commission, on the insuring of raw commodities such as wool, cotton, pit wood and molasses, stored in the United Kingdom and abroad.

The scheme ended on 31 March 1957. The committee was wound up by the Joint Secretariat of the Associated Insurers (British Electricity) Management Committee (set up 1949) and the British Insurance (Atomic Energy) Committee (set up 1956) which comprised two members of its staff (the committee had agreed to make its organisation available to these bodies on their establishment). The records were passed to the Fire Offices' Committee.

The Association was formed in 1949 to represent the interests of insurers in the aviation industry, and its board was made up of representatives of those companies. It was mainly based at 70/72 King William Street.

William Baldwyn, the son of a Bristol brewer also named William and his wife Joanna, was made free of the Merchant Taylors' Company on 26 November 1627. He had served an apprenticeship with Andrew Barker of Watling Street, and subsequently with Francis Buckley, a draper, and Richard Bunbury, a merchant tailor. The partnership with Tynte may not have lasted. Tynte leased a house and warehouse in Bishopsgate Street in 1631. Baldwin died in 1661. Tynte may have been the John Tynte who died in Chelvey, Somerset in 1671.

Blades, East and Blades were stationers and printers of 17 Abchurch Lane.

Sir George Rowland Blades was Alderman of Bassishaw Ward, 1920-1948; Sheriff 1917-1918 and Lord Mayor of London 1926-1927.

The plantations were acquired in 1837 by Boddington and Company (Samuel and Thomas Boddington and Richard Davis), West India merchants, of 9 St Helen's Place, Bishopsgate.