British Banking : A Guide to Historical Records (Studies in British Business Archives)

This substantially expanded new edition of the Guide to the Historical Records of British Banking contains details of over 700 archive collections held in local record offices, university and local libraries and of course, banks. Wider coverage is given to the records of major domestic banks, British-owned overseas banks, merchant banks and discount houses. There are also additional listings of records of long defunct banks. Arranged alphabetically by name, the entries for each bank contain in most cases: · A brief history of the bank to explain numerous name changes. · Information as to where the bank's records are held. · Details of what the records consist of. The entries are set in context by introductory chapters covering the historical structure and function of British banking and the purpose, format and research value of the chief series of historical records commonly found in bank archives. Bank records concern not just banks but the varied activities that they financed. In addition to its contribution to the study of banking history, this monumental reference work facilitates a wider knowledge and understanding of the history of British finance.