Image – W N Townson Bequest
Our Bury branch is yet another example of the magnificent buildings we inherit from the various bank mergers that begin in the late eighteen hundreds, and culminate with the naming of Martins Bank Limited in 1928. Seen here (above) as a branch of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank in 1922, the building exudes safety, stability and security and shows how small scale grandeur can still be 100% effective. For our feature, we eavesdrop on the goings on at 26 Silver Street Bury on the occasion of the retirement of their long-serving machine room supervisor, Joan Lord…
on the evening of March 31 some sixty present and former members of Bury branch and Miss Goddard (District Lady Supervisor) met together at Silver Street to give their good wishes to Joan Lord. Presenting her with a crocodile leather handbag, Mr Isherwood (Manager, Bury) thanked her for her outstanding loyalty over thirty-two years and said how much her help and expert knowledge would be missed. Miss Lord began her career at The Rock and moved to Bury in 1955 where for the past eighteen years she has been the senior lady in charge of the machine room. In a brief but charming speech Miss Lord acknowledged the good wishes and the present, then invited her guests to an excellent buffet meal. Conversation about 'the good old days' continued well into the evening among the many former members of the Bury staff brought together by the occasion.
From the many examples of cheques and cheque books in our archive, comes this Bury cheque from the early 1960s. This is a time of change for banking, and even cheques themselves are redesigned and made ready for the computer age, through the addition of the “MICR Line” – those futuristic looking numbers which are printed onto the cheque using a special magnetised iron oxide ink. At this point the printing of a customer’s name on his or her cheques is being tested by our automated branches in Liverpool and London…
The cheque book ordering slip shows a fee of three shillings and fourpence to be paid for a book of twenty cheques. This represents Stamp Duty, a government tax of tuppence on every cheque written.
Mr W W Hall Joined the Bank Here 1903 to 1912	Mr S A Buxton Joined the Bank Here 1913		Mr F Lee Joined the Bank Here 1915 to 1930	Mr F C Hardman Joined the Bank Here 1920 to 1920
Mr E K Landless Joined the Bank Here 1923	Mr L Taylor On the Staff 1923 to 1923		Mr T S Collinge Joined the Bank Here 1926	Mr S Gee Joined the Bank Here 1928
Mr K Whittle Joined the Bank Here 1931 to 1934	Mr E H Brown Sub Manager 1937 to 1941		Mr H S Wilkinson Joined the Bank Here 1939 to 1939	Mr S M Dearden Joined the Bank Here 1939 to 1940
Mr W F S Richmond On the Staff 1940 to 1941	Mr C E Harris Manager 1941 to 1947		Mr T England Sub Manager 1941 to 1952	Mr C Spencer Acting Manager 1943 to 1945
Miss Brenda Lowe On the Staff Jan to Jun 1945	Mr A Scholes Manager 1945 to 1946		Mr T Longworth Joined the Bank Here 1945 to 1947	Mr G Farrow Joined the Bank Here 1947 to 1949
Mr H M Nield Manager 1947 to 1956	Mr L Richards Pro then Sub Manager 1951 to 1956		Miss J A Lord Machine Room Supervisor 1951 to 1969	Mr T Whittaker Joined the Bank Here 1952 to 1952
Mr H Fletcher On the Staff 1953 to 1968	Mr W A Beswick Manager 1956 to 1964		Mr J Speak Pro Manager 1958 to 1962	Mr R B Blomeley Pro Manager 1962 to 1965
Mr K Livesley Deputy Manager 1963 to 1966	Mr H M Isherwood Manager 1964 onwards		Mr R W Kitchen Pro Manager 1965	Mr T Derbyshire Deputy Manager 1966
Mr G Guiver Pro Manager 1967	Mr C Mitchell Deputy Manager 1968
Title:		11-39-20 Bury
Type:		Full Branch
Address:		PO Box 33 26 Silver Street Bury Lancashire
Hours:		Mon to Fri 1000-1500
		Saturday 0900-1130
Telephone:		061 764 5041/2 & 4360
Services:		Nightsafe Installed
Manager:		Mr H M Isherwood Manager
Title:		11-73-31 BURY ELTON
Type:		Self Accounting Sub to 11-39-20 Bury
Address:		Bury Bridge Elton Bury Lancashire
Hours:		Mon to Fri 1000-1500
		Saturday 0900-1130
Telephone:		061 764 1694
Services:		Night Safe
Manager:		W D Rushworth Pro Manager
Title:		11-22-70 BURY THE ROCK
Type:		Self remitting Sub to 11-39-20 Bury
Address:		1 The Rock Bury Lancashire
Hours:		Mon to Fri 1000-1500
		Saturday 0900-1130
Telephone:		061 764 2140
Services:		Night Safe
Manager:		Mr A Blackshaw Clerk in Charge
Title:		11-39-20 BURY TOTTINGTON
Type:		Sub to 11-39-20 Bury
Address:		26 Market Street Tottington Lancashire
Hours:		Mon to Fri 1000-1315 and 1345-1500
		Saturday 0930-1130
Telephone:		Tottington 2805
Services:		No Nightsafe
Manager:		H M Isherwood Manager (Bury)
© gut informiert 2007 to date