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Some of Martins Bank’s Burnley Branches come from the amalgamation
of the Bank of Liverpool and the
Craven Bank in 1906. The Craven
Bankers comprised some of the most respected and well to do figures of the
1800s, and notes issued by the Craven Bank were seen as trustworthy for
value.
Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections
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In Service: 1884 until 30 May
1963
Image © Barclays Ref:
0030-0481
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Local business people would always ask for the notes with the “coo”
(the Craven Heifer) on them, because they knew that payment of them would be
honoured. We are indebted to our
friends at Barclays Leeds Region Pensioners’ Club, for this example of a
Craven Banknote issued at Burnley in the late 1800s. 1963 sees the closure of of two Burnley Branches, St James’
Street and 13 Hargreaves Street. The business of both Branches is to be
combined into the brand new Branch at MANCHESTER ROAD (on whose page you can see a more populated staff
gallery section). Despite there having
been a total of four main and four sub-Branches at various times over the
years, there is one member of staff – Mr E Fielden – who has only ever worked
for Martins in Hargreaves Street, first at No 7 and then No 13. In 1960, it
is time to wish him a happy retirement…
  One of the best-known managers in the
North retired at the end of November when Ernest Fielden laid down his pen
after 44 years' service. He spent the whole of his banking life in Hargreaves
Street, Burnley, which he entered in 1915 when it was a Branch of the
Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank, first at No. 7 and then at No. 13. He was
appointed Assistant Manager in 1938 and Manager in 1945. To mark the occasion of his retirement Mr. Fielden
invited his colleagues to a cocktail party at the Thorn Hotel, and 45 of them
assembled to say goodbye. Mr. Jobling and Mr. Weatherill, Mr. Fielden's
General Managerial colleagues, came from Liverpool, also Mr. Pickering, while
the London, Northern and Manchester Districts were all represented as well as
many Branches in the Craven District. Mr.
Jobling made the presentation on behalf of the subscribers of a portable typewriter,
and in his remarks made a special reference to Mr. Fielden's successful
career. Mr. Earnshaw, Mr. Fielden's successor, also spoke, mentioning his
long association with Mr. Fielden. Mr.
Fielden is having a house built at Moelfre, in Anglesey, and hopes to see
many of his old colleagues from time to time as soon as he and Mrs. Fielden
have settled in.
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 We are grateful to Rex Watson, whose father Frank worked
at 13 Hargreaves St, for supplying this wonderful group photograph of the
staff, taken in 1949. It was
actually taken on a camera that belonged to Frank, and some years later he
anotated the names he could remember on the reverse of the photo. We would be delighted if anyone can help
fill in the blanks, from this key to the picture. A fair amount of progress
has already been made, although a lot of initials are missing from the
surnames in the lists below. Those staff whose names we DO know are now also featured in the staff gallery below,
but for several of them we still do not have any initials/first names.
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Image
© Martins Bank Archive Collections - Frank Watson 1949
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1 Mr ( ? ) Heaton
2 Mr Frank Watson
3 Mr ( ? ) Perkins
4 Mr ( ? ) Harrison
5 Mr ( ? ) Boothman
6 ?
7 Mr R S Atkinson
8 Mr ( ? ) Halstead
9 Mr S Taylor Messenger
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10 ?
11 ?
12 ?
13 ?
14 Miss ( ? ) Dalton
15 Barbara Pilkington
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16 Miss ( ? ) Wadsworth
17 Mr Eric George Earnshaw
18 Mr Ernest L Fielden
19 Mr ( ? ) Clarke
20 Miss M Calvert
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If you can help fill in the
gaps, please contact us: martinsbankarchive@btinternet.com
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