Records of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, later known as the Chartered Bank. Records date from 1851, just prior to the foundation of the bank in 1853 and include reference to the operation and management of the business covering both branches, agencies and head office. There is information relating to premises and staff, inspection of branches and customer accounts, some records of legal actions as well as general administrative records created and maintained by the secretaries and general managers.
Highlights include records relating to the bank during times of War, from accounts of local rebellions and riots through to the Second World War which saw two thirds of the banks' branches occupied by the Japanese and over 100 of the banks' European officers interned. There is a series of letters within the records of the Secretary and a number of personal reminiscences recounting the courageous actions of trustworthy staff members trying to salvage bank records from being seized by the Japanese, from those in internment camps and accounts of conditions in occupied countries (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/07) and a register of employees interned in prisoner of war camps or killed during enemy action (CLC/B/207/CH08/01/004).
There is a series of posterity files (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/09-13) consisting of over 1,300 documents which were retained by the Secretary as a research resource and for historical interest covering a remarkable range of subjects such as legal wrangles and reports on trading conditions in particular countries reflecting how the bank was responsive to early economic development and new trade when seeking to expand its network of branches.
The 'Realms of Silver' centenary publication research files are a valuable source on the history of the bank (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/14-17) covering a range of topics such as key commodities in particular areas, they show staff enduring disease, plague, famine and drought, rebellion and revolution, earthquakes, floods and fire and highlight how the activities of the Bank have touched upon events of world history as well as of local development, often reflecting creative solutions that the bank employed to overcome such problems and tribulations.
There is an extensive collection of premises records (CLC/B/207/CH09) including plans of the branches and often subsequent upgrades and developments of branches and agencies in response to growing business needs. There are also photographs which show not only bank premises but also create a pictorial history reflecting the international operations of the Chartered Bank as well as showing local flora, fauna and methods of trade, for example, in Cebu the use of Buffalo to move Hemp and in Burma the use of Elephants in the emerging logging trade. They also reflect local tragedies such as the effects of the Yokohama Earthquake in Japan in 1923 (CLC/B/207/CH09/08; CLC/B/207/CH08/04; CLC/B/207/CH03/01/16)
There is an extensive series of records relating to accounts and financial matters (CLC/B/207/CH04), including general ledgers; a comprehensive series of half yearly balance sheets from branches and records of the Taxation and Statistics Department (which appears to have fallen under the auspices of the Chief Accountant.
There are also records relating to staff (CLC/B/207/CH08), which give details on the bank's application and registration process, and progress and activities of named staff when they took up their posts. These records include registers of staff (1874 - 1920), some staff applications and employment agreements (1900 - 1930) and an extensive series of half-yearly schedules of staff in overseas branches (1863 - 1960).
Records in this sub-fonds include those generated by the Secretary's Department, General Manager's Department, Inspection Department, Overseas Personnel Department and the Birmingham Representative.
They include a series of files on Japanese occupation of the eastern branches during World War Two (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/07), personal accounts from employees who were interned by the Japanese and the war damage claims brought by the bank in the Philippines (CLC/B/207/CH03/02/05) and against the Yokohama Specie Bank in Singapore (CLC/B/207/CH03/02/04) subsequent to the end of the war.
There are a series of research files for the official centenary publication of 1953, 'Realms of Silver' which contain a wealth of historical information regarding the bank (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/14-17), including personnel accounts from former staff members of their service with the bank and a series of posterity files (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/09-13) containing information on a wide range of the banks work and operations. These are complemented by two series of country files (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/06 and CLC/B/207/CH03/02/02).
In addition there are records of the Inspection department (CLC/B/207/CH03/03) which include details of some cases where bad debts to the bank led to the liquidation of customers' assets, reports following the inspection of branches and a file relating to a case of fraud perpetrated by a staff member.
There are also records of a court case brought by Gerald Gelberg regarding some Sarawak postage stamps (CLC/B/207/CH03/02/06) and the records of the Chartered Banks' first and only venture to Birmingham (CLC/B/207/CH03/05).