the world of private banking

102
THE WORLD OF PRIVAtE BANKING
The Location of Source Material for Private Banks
Families seem to have made little distinction between their own private papers and
banking records. As a result, both exist at a variety of locations – in the archives of
banks, in local record offices or other publicly accessible repositories, or in private
hands. Fortunately Pressnell’s and Orbell’s Guide provides an invaluable tool for
locating them.
For example, although Thomas Barnard & Co. of Bedford became part of
NatWest and a researcher might reasonably expect to find their records in the
NatWest archives, they were actually retained by the Barnard family. Subsequently,
they were deposited, along with the estate and private family papers, with
Bedfordshire and Luton Archives Service.
Similarly, partnership agreements and correspondence, relating to both the
banking and other business and family interests of the Minet and Fector families,
were deposited by a descendant with University College London.
Conversely, some family papers survive among the banking records and
now reside in bank archives. When a private bank was taken over, banking often
continued to be conducted from the same building. Consigned to the strongroom
and cellars, the family papers remained in situ. At NatWest, there are many private
papers connected with family matters – especially those of a quasi-legal nature –
marriage settlements, wills and probate, as well as papers connected with property,
estates and other business interests.
Once bank archives were established, banking archivists also acquired records
from banking families by purchase or gift. In the case of the Smith family, the
continued involvement in banking, notably by Eric L. Smith as chairman of National
Provincial Bank from 1930 to 1950, led to the deposit of many private Smith
family papers in the NatWest archives. Westminster Bank added to its holdings of
Crompton Newton and Co. records by purchasing some eighteenth-century account
books belonging to the Crompton banking family in the 1960s. In addition archivists
of both the Westminster Bank and the National Provincial Bank sought to identify
and copy archives of private banks still remaining in family hands. 10
Records in Private Hands
Some banking and family records still remain with family members. Unfortunately
records held in private hands often disappear. In the 1950s the archivist of the
National Provincial Bank was informed about the existence of a letter book
belonging to William Fryer, son of the founder of the Dorset bank, Fryer & Sons.
Copied extracts from this letter book are held in the NatWest archives, but the
Pressnell et al., Guide.
10
Westminster Bank and National Provincial Bank merged in 1968 to form National
Westminster Bank.