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 A new Branch at Hanley is part of Martins Bank’s
1930s expansion into the Midlands and South of England and Wales. This begins
almost as soon as the modern day Bank is created in 1928. More Branches in and around “The
Potteries” will be added, including Leek, Longton, Newcastle Under Lyme,
Brierley Hill, Tunstall and Stafford. A number of attractive buildings, like
this one at Hanley are chosen, and the Midland District is always fondly
remembered by those who worked in its Branches and Departments.
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In Service: 18 May 1936 until 22 February 1974
Image © STAFFSPASTTRACK.ORG.UK Ref
SD1480/177-14 (204/38606)
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This atmospheric photograph, which was tracked down and
secured for the Archive by the Grasshopper Pensioners’ Club, shows a busy
Market Square at Hanley in the mid-1960s.
From the close-up image, along with the exterior view from the
Barclays collection (shown below), you can really appreciate the attractive
frontage to this lovely little branch, which survives the merger with
Barclays and remains open until 1974, a total of 38 years in service.
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Image © STAFFSPASTTRACK.ORG.UK Ref
SD1480/177-14 (204/38606)
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Image ©
Barclays Ref 0030-1184
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“Martins Bank for Hanley”
On the morning of 18 May 1936, the Staffordshire Sentinel
publishes this advertisment, declaring that a branch of the Bank is now
open at 11, Market Square Hanley.
The Bank is keen to attract attention, and as was popular at this
time, it takes out a feature spread in the Sentinel, which as well as
providing additional advertising opportunities for several of the
contracting companies involved in the development of the new branch, allows
space for a potted history of the many amalgamations that have taken place
in order to bring about the existence of Martins Bank Limited. (It is of course hoped that the Bank’s
“history and achievements” will attract well-heeled customers from other
banks in the area)…
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Image
and Text © Reach PLC and Find my Past created courtesy of
THE
BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. Image and Text reproduced with kind
permission of The British Newspaper Archive
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MARTINS BANK FOR
HANLEY
Attractive
Premises opened
Continuing its policy of expansion in the Midlands, Martins
Bank Ltd. has extended its influence
to Hanley, where a new branch was opened today at 11, Market-square,
under the management of Mr. J. B.
Hall.
Martins Bank has an interesting history and its growth forms
an admirable illustration of the manner in which the great financial
institutions of this country progressed during the past century. It was established in 1831, as the Bank
of Liverpool, and is the only Bank in Liverpool which has retained its head
office in that city.
One of the first noteworthy features of its development occurred in 1883, when it
took over the old established business of Messrs. Arthur Heywood Sons and
Co., of Liverpool. Between that year and 1914, the policy of expansion went
steadily forward and the Liverpool Commercial Banking Company, Messrs
Wakefield, Crewdson and Co., the Craven Bank Ltd, Carlisle and Cumberland
Banking Co., Ltd., and the North Eastern Banking Co., Ltd., were absorbed
by it.
550 OFFICES
An important amalgamation took place in 1914, when Martin’s
Bank Ltd., which dated from 1563 and was one of the oldest in the country,
was acquired by the Bank, which then assumed the title of Bank of Liverpool
and Martins Ltd.
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Still more banks were absorbed, as follows : In 1919 Messrs
Cocks Biddulph & Co, (established 1730), the Palatine Bank Ltd., and
the Halifax Commercial Banking Co., Ltd., in 1923, Cattle Trade Bank Ltd.,
in 1927 the Equitable Bank Limited, and in 1928 the Lancashire and
Yorkshire Bank Ltd. The name of the Bank was then changed to Martins Bank
Limited.
The Bank has 550 offices. It is a member of the London
Clearing House, has separate foreign branches, where all descriptions of
foreign business are transacted, and trustee departments, which undertake
all kinds of trustee business.
The Hanley premises occupy a prominent corner site, four
stories high, and in addition to the usual banking accommodation on the
ground floor, there are suites of offices above.
THE NEW PREMISES
The elevation in the Square is carried out in white
Hollington stone, a well-known local product.
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Image © Barclays Ref:
0030-1184
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The interior is well-lighted be five arched windows, fitted with
bronze frames. The bronze doors, harmonising with the dignified lines of
the premises are a unique feature of the bank front. On the left of the
main entrance, a night safe has been installed for the convenience of
customers.
The interior of the building has been most effectively
treated, under the supervision of Mr. E. C. Allridge, architect, of 11, Castle
Street, Liverpool. The coffered ceiling and wall linings present an
excellent example of modern plaster decoration. The floors are covered with
rubber, giving an effect of Roman Travertine marble, with black border.
Doors, counter desks and dado panelling, all in Australian walnut, add to
the completeness of a very pleasing and artistic interior.
The general contractors were Messrs. C. Cornes and Son,
Hanley; the electricians, Messrs. J.
Richards and Co., Ltd., Longton; and heating engineers. Messrs. G. S. Hall,
Hanley.
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Martins Bank Magazine visits Hanley in 1965, by which time
the Branch is almost a victim of its own success – business has been steadily
building over the years, and there is now not enough room for the many staff
needed to process the work …
 We
visited Hanley Branch which has to be seen to be believed. Since we worked
there on relief in 1937 as part of a staff of 5 comprising Mr J. B. Hall, Mr
F. J. Mitchell, Mr J. O. Sparke, Mr D. C. Bardsley and Miss M. O. Griffin, an
adjoining shop has been taken in and every floor above is more than fully
occupied. Mr Rodney Carr, the second of Hanley's two remarkable managers, is
one of the few men who many years ago fought his way out of a specialist
department to make a successful career in general banking. His zest for life
and work is undiminished and permeates this rabbit warren where the visitor
wonders increasingly how the work ever gets done.
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The group photograph (See STAFF GALLERY below)
was taken later at a nearby hotel where the staff could be
massed conveniently, but in the Branch we had discovered that the person
who has most room is he who travels along the short passage from the
customers’ space to the lift. In fairness to
our Premises people we must stress that we saw the staff at work just
before the June balance and after 3 o’clock when Branch banking becomes
‘group activity’.
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  A
desk in the banking hall is used for making up the post, bodies line the
back desk where ‘Excuse me’ is heard every time others try to move between
them and the stationery cupboards lining the back wall, Mr Mason’s broad
back faces the office he runs from a tiny desk below the end window and
everything has to be passed to him over his shoulder. Upstairs we found a
secretary typing in the voucher room, two people working at the ‘canteen’
table, and eight more in a room furnished with cabinets, machines and a
table. Off some rooms are sub-rooms and sub-sub-rooms, best suited to single
working or ‘diddy’ people. It is a
fantastic workshop with more good humour, goodwill and laughter on three
floors than in many a more spacious and glamorous office. If you stand still in Hanley Branch you
are in somebody’s way and we suspect that the mobile tills are specially
reinforced to withstand a concerted push when the strong room door is
battened down at night. The whole
area is due for rebuilding and little can be done at present to improve
conditions. Meanwhile we raise the editorial hat to all at Hanley!
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