The twisty story of that bank on King Street

It started this morning when I posted a picture of the old National Westminster Bank on King Street which I took in 1978.

1974

It is a building that has always intrigued me.

I always reckoned it must be 18th century but have never made an effort to find its history.

But prompted by the interest in my 1978 picture I dug deep into what was at times a confusing story.

My Pevsner, that guide to all things architecture says  “Nos 35-37 is a five bay brick house, originally with wings, built in 1736 for Dr. Peter Waring, which became a bank in the later 18th century. Its interior has gone and the wings replaced by 1990s glass shop fronts”.*

1978

And tracking back through maps, directories and the Rate Books I can confirm that it has been engaged in the exchange of money for a very long time.

It appears as the bank of James Lloyd in 1843 and later as Lloyd, Entwhistle, Bury, and Jervis Bankers into the 1860s.  As Lloyd Entwhistle it can be traced back to the firm of  John Jones "bankers and tea dealers", which had been established in the 1770s and occupied our building in King Street.

1930s

In 1863 Lloyd, Entwhistle, Bury and Jervis, were bought out by the Manchester & Liverpool District Bank which in turn was purchased by the National Westminster Bank in 1962.**

All of which seemed easy to follow but what had thrown me for a while was the presence of a grand stone entrance beside our house which confusingly carried the street number, 37, and according to Pevsner, “Beside it Nos. 37 & 39 is an ambitious 1990s design …. Incorporating the arched entrance to the bank”.

Which is all very well but clearly was once part of our building.

Just when it was added is yet to be discovered.  

It is there on Goad’s Fire insurance maps which date from the 1880s to the early 1900s, but is not on the 1851 Adshead map.

So there you are.

Pictures; Banks, National Westminster Bank, King Street, Manchester, H. Milligan, 1974, m56518, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass King Street, circa 1978, from the collection of Andrew Simpson, King Street circa 1930s, from the collection of Sandra Hapgood, the bank, circa 1880s, from Goad's Fire Insurance maps 1880s-1900, courtesy of  https://digitalarchives.co.uk/

1880s

*Manchester, Clare Hartwell, Pevsner Arhitectural Guides, 2001

**District Bank, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_Bank

Additional information from Slater's Directories, Manchester Rate Books, OS maps of Manchester and Salford, 1849, 1894, Adshead's map of Manchester 1851 and Goad's Fire Insurance maps 1880s-1900