An introduction to English banking history
Page three
The banking structure in 1844
Table three shows the banking structure that existed in England by 1844.
| Type | Banks | Branches | Banknote circulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of England | 1 | 12 | £18.1m |
| London private banks | 63 | 0 | 0 |
| London joint stock banks | 5 | 45 | 0 |
| Provincial private banks | 273 | 71 | £5.1m |
| Provincial joint stock banks | 100 | 441 | £7.2m |
| Totals | 442 | 569 | £30.4m |
Table three: The banking system in 1844. Source: Crick and Wadsworth (1936).
In 1844 there were 442 different banks operating from 569 branches
issuing a total of £30.4 million in banknotes. Of the £30.4 million
of circulating banknotes, just £18.1 million was issued by the Bank
of England. The remaining £12.3 million of banknotes came from 280
provincial banks (208 private + 72 joint stock – not all banks
issued banknotes). None of the joint stock banks that issued notes
could open branches in London. London private banks could have
issued notes but chose not to do so. This was a very complex system
and remedial action was considered necessary.
In 1844 the Bank Charter Act was passed in an attempt to place all the various banks under some form of legislative control for the first time. In particular there was a clear intention to remove all banknote issues other than those of the Bank of England. It took many decades for this process to be completed, and the last local banknote issue, from Fox & Co. of Wellington, was made in 1921.
In the 1860s further legislation relating to company law
eventually allowed banks to acquire limited liability status. This
meant that in the event of a bank failure, bank shareholders were
only liable to the full value of the shares they individually held.
Prior to this, bank shareholders had unlimited liability in the
event of a bank failure.