11-34-60 Newcastle Staffordshire

BARCLAYS BANK LIMITED

DISTRICT BANK LIMITED

LLOYDS BANK LIMITED

41 High Street

George Street

Smithfield

MARTINS BANK LIMITED

59 Ironmarket

MIDLAND BANK LIMITED

NATIONAL PROVINCIAL BANK

WESTMINSTER BANK LIMITED

Martins Bank 1928+

Martins Bank opens its first Branch in Newcastle under Lyme in 1948, at No 19 The Ironmarket. By 1962 business has developed to the stage where larger and slightly more central premises are required. The move is made to 59 The Iron Market, and under the Management of Mr F G Armstrong, business continues to flourish. Martins Bank Magazine visits the Branch in 1965, and begins its article with a correction…

Newcastle, Staffs is NOT in the potteries, and everybody there takes great trouble to point this out. It is on the edge, independent, attractive in many respects, a mixture of old and new, proud of its history and its association with John of Gaunt: on its golf course students from the nearby University of Keele are uncovering roman relics. It is fortunate that the road in from the north runs past a field of undisposable cars which offers an unattractive vista of those places beyond Newcastle whence come most of our cups and saucers. Newcastle has the good sense to cash in on fringe benefits and it makes and exports, among other things, kilns for making pottery and glassmaking machinery. Our branch was opened in 1948 by Mr F J Mitchell who later became manager at Walsall.

He was assisted by Mr J R Dakin, now manager at Longton, and one of the results of our trip was to remind us that the history of these branches constitutes a management success story in itself to quell misgivings about working in unglamorous places. The new premises at Newcastle opened three years ago, and the increase in business has raised the staff from five to thirteen in ten years.

In Service: 1962 until 20 January 1985

1965 Branch Exterior 1 CU BGA No Ref.jpg

Images © Barclays Ref 0030-2022

Mr F G Armstrong T.D., well remembered on Merseyside, looks as fit and energetic as he was in his young days, and is obviously happy in Newcastle. Mr R W Bywell, his second in command is also a Liverpudlian but all the young staff are from the Midlands.

Times really have changed at 59 The Ironmarket, which hasn’t been a bank for decades. Nowadays it seems, a different kind of “money lending” goes on here: you lend it to them – and they don’t give it back!

1960 ish Cowling Exterior Close up BGA Ref 30-743.jpg

That was then…

Image © Barclays Ref 0030-0743

… and this was 2014

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections - Kate Snowden



Mr J R Dakin Branch Second 1948	Mr F J Mitchell Manager 1948 to 1955	Mr J Bridgwood On the Staff 1956 to 1959	Mr Reg W Bywell Manager 1960 to 1967	Miss B Hazeldine On the Staff 1965	Miss G A Williams On the Staff 1965



Mr R D Watson On the Staff 1965	Mr G Edwards On the Staff 1965	Miss J B Morgan On the Staff 1965	Miss J M Wallace On the Staff 1965	Mr J D Bishop On the Staff 1965	Miss P A Fitzjohn On the Staff 1965



Mr P N Jennings On the Staff 1965	Miss J Sutton On the Staff 1965	Miss J P M Glover First Cashier 1965	Mr F G Armstrong Manager 1965	Mr J Mason Pro Manager 1967

We apologise for the poor quality of some of the photographs in our staff gallery. If you own a copy of the original staff group photo shown above, or have an image of yourself as a member of the staff of Newcastle (Staffs) Branch, please get in touch with us as the usuall address – martinsbankarchive@btinternet.com.