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 A number of Martins Bank’s branches are situated at the entrance to the
Wirral Peninsula in Cheshire. The main
branch is ELLESMERE
PORT, from where the outlets at BROMBOROUGH, EASTHAM and Little Sutton are looked after. These are all self accounting sub branches
– each has its own Clerk in Charge, and each is open full hours across the
six day banking week. The branch at
Little Sutton is opened in 1933 in brick-built premises on a pleasant corner
site. All runs smoothly for a number of years, until early in 1965 when an unexpected visitor
makes a rather too direct an entrance through the front door, causing chaos
on a grand scale. Martins Bank
Magazine takes up the story below. The good news is that Little Sutton does
survive and goes on to serve Barclays for thirty-one before being shut down in
2000…
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In Service: 1933 until 7 April 2000
Image © Barclays Ref
0030-1654
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 at 12.15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24th, the last of
several lunch-time customers had just left Little Sutton branch, Cheshire,
when an 8-wheeled lorry, after being involved in an accident,
crashed into the front of the office. The cashiers, Mr S. W. Ash and Mr R. J.
Shaw, were showered with
bricks and rubble as the lorry hit the counter, pushing it back, but very luckily neither was hurt. Even the
driver escaped injury though his
mate received hospital treatment. Mr J. B. F. Bardsley
(Clerk-in-Charge) was in his room at the time
and the picture below (left) gives his view of the office. This
and the photograph of the lorry inside the branch were taken by Mr Walter Cartwright, a customer of the
branch, whose firm started repair
work within an hour. During
rebuilding, banking business was continued at a mobile branch parked across the road.
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Ram-raid, or smash and grab?
Images © Martins Bank Archive Collections
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Perhaps a Clerk in Charge should keep a tidier office,
and (right) that counter could do with a good polish, too…
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 For our retirement feature, we look back to 1958 and
the farewell gathering for Mr Eustace Edgar Betenson, Clerk in Charge at
Little Sutton for fifteen years. Mr
Betenson was the first member of Martins Bank staff to be included in our collaboration
with LIVES OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR, a major project run
in association with the Imperial War Museum.
Based on the retirement information we hold about a large number of
Martins Bank staff who served their country between 1914 and 1920, we can
help Lives of the First World War tell the stories of these brave men. Our
article below has also been reproduced as part of Mr Betenson’s timeline on
the LIVES OF site, which includes his service record
from World War I, and other key moments from his life…
  Little
Sutton branch has surely never before in its history been called upon to
accommodate so many members of the staff as squeezed into it on the last day
of January to wish Godspeed to Mr. E. E. Betenson on the last day of his 43
years' service. His friends and colleagues from surrounding branches, from
Liverpool and on the retired staff crowded in to express their good wishes.
The presentation of a cheque on behalf of the subscribers was made by Mr. J.
H. Pickering, Assistant Staff Manager, who referred in the warmest terms to
Mr. Betenson's sense of duty and conception of service. His attitude had
always been, said Mr. Pickering, not what he got out of life but what he
could put into it, a remark which evoked a murmur of general assent. Mr.
Betenson thanked all his friends for their attendance and for their gift, and
refreshments were then served. We were very pleased indeed to welcome Mrs.
Betenson to the little party. Mr. Betenson entered the Bank in 1915 at
Egremont. He served in H.M. Forces from 1917-20 and afterwards served for
varying periods at Ellesmere Port, Bootle, Foreign, on H.O. Relief, Charing
Cross, Claughton Village, and at Liverpool City Office. His first
appointment, in charge of Upton branch, came in 1938 and he was appointed
Clerk-in-Charge at Little Sutton in 1942.
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