Old Ashburton

In 1774 George III issued a proclamation to the effect that 'diminished' gold coinage was to be collected and exchanged. 

Richard Eales and John Dolbeare were the people in Ashburton authorized to perform this task.
London Gazette Issue 11478 26 July 1774, p1

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A Certificate of Bankruptcy to be awarded to Robert Abraham, Banker, Money-Scrivener, Dealer and Chapman
London Gazette Issue 16755 20 July 1813, p25

For a promissory note from the Ashburton Bank, see the Virtual museum 1800s section.

R Abraham is still being shown under Bankers for Ashburton two years later, 'draw on Esdaile and Co., Lombard-street'.
Crosby's Complete Pocket Gazetteer, London, 1815, p19

When John Winsor and his wife Susanna have a daughters baptized in June 1817 and October 1818, John is described as a banker.
Ashburton Baptisms 1813-1821 Devon FHS 2006
Parish register

Letitia Dorothea Cuming. Born in Ashburton in 1786*, she was the daughter of George Winsor and Letitia Luscombe of Totnes. It was Letitia's brother John Winsor who was part of the Ashburton Bank. She married Francis Brooking Cuming, a solicitor who entered banking  and became a partner in Brown, Winsor and Cuming. However, Francis died in 1822, and  his wife was left his share of the partnership. 

Women who made Money, Women Partners in British Private Banks, 1752-1906, Margaret Dawes and Nesta Selwyn, Trafford publishing, 2010, p133

* George Winsor married Letitia Luscombe, 2nd January 1781. Letitia Dorothea Winser was baptised 21st Feb 1787, Ashburton, daughter of George and Letitia. Letitia Dorothea Winsor married Francis Cuming 1st March 1814

https://familysearch.org

'We regret to say that the Ashburton Bank, of Mssrs Brown, Winsor and Cuming, suspended payments yesterday evening (Thursday) after a tremendous run of several days (Devonshire Freeholder).'
Galignani's Messenger, Paris, 9 December 1825

'By a letter from Ashburton, we find that the bank of Messrs Brown, Winsor and Co. which recently stopped payment, will pay off their notes on the 2d of January next; indeed their notes are now current among the tradesmen of that place. In the present agitated state of public credit, we have much pleasure in giving publicity to this information.'
Galignani's Messenger, December 16, 1825

In 1825 there was a run of several days on the bank of Mssrs Brown, Winsor and Cuming. Rumours that the bank was suspending payments were current in the morning, and were 'fully confirmed' in the afternoon.
Devonshire Freeholder, reported in Palmer's Index to The Times, 6 December 1825, p2 col4

11 December 1858 'At Ashburton, aged 76, John Winsor esq., for many years one of the firm of the Ashburton Bank.
Gentleman's Magazine, London, 1858, p118

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In 1827 a house was sold in East Street - it had a walled garden, outhouses, courtlege and a stable. It was 'lately used as a bank and now occupied by Mr Terry'
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 12 May 1827 p1 col4

This is possibly the same building which housed a large safe until the latter part of the 20th century - No 81 East Street. 
Wendy Major remembered that a safe was in a house in the area of No. 81. Alan Lambourne was taken into No. 81  by the owner and shown where the safe had been. Many thanks to both Wendy and Alan.                

And was possibly the building used by Robert Abraham, or  Browne, Winsor and Cuming, or both.                                                 

                                                         Watts, Whidbourne and Co.

The Capital and Counties Bank from 1891 

1862 Messrs Watts, Whidborne and Moir opened a branch at Ashburton 
Western Times 27 Dec 1862 p3 col 2

From Morris and Co's Commercial Directory and Gazetteer 1870: Watts, Whidbourne and Co., bankers, West Street (branch of ) draw on Williams, Deacon and Co. London. Manager - William Creber (see cheque in the 1880s section of the Virtual museum)

The London Gazette, part 4, October 1st 1875, p5237

From Ashburton, Buckfastleigh, Brent and Ivybridge Almanac 1906:
Banks - Capital and Counties Bank, East St, manager - Mr W P Rendell

The Capital and Counties Bank, a dwelling house, was Walter Pollard Rendell's address on the 1911 electoral register.
England and Wales electoral registers 1910 - 1932, available through https://www.findmypast.co.uk

Watts, Whidborne and Co. 'was taken over by the Capital and Counties Bank in 1891, and the latter, in turn was absorbed by Lloyds Bank in 1918.'
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 2 August 1924, p4 col2

Lloyds Bank also bought the Devon and Cornwall Bank in 1906
Research by Nigel Brown, information from the Lloyds archives. Many thanks to Nigel for his contributions to this page.

The Brixham Western Guardian advertised in 1919 that The National Provincial Union Bank of England had opened a branch at Ashburton. They said that this was at 3, West Street (later numbered as 2 East Street)
Brixham Western Guardian 1 May 1919, p1 cols 5,6

The Lloyds archives says that Lloyds sold the branch at 19 East Street to the National Provincial.
Research by Nigel Brown, information from the Lloyds archives

2 East Street was Lloyds in the 1921 census (and remained so until closure in 2016).

Benjamin Balkwill was at Lloyds Bank at the time of the 1921 census, with his wife Elizabeth Kate and daughter Margaret Elizabeth. Aged 44, he was the manager.

Lavinia Lamason, brush manufacturer, was the next property along, which means that the Balkwills were at No. 3 West Street, also known as 2 East Street. The Balkwills had been at [19] East Street in 1911.**
1921 census RG15, piece no. 10435, schedule 63

**In 1911 John I Lamason and his wife Lavinia are at 1 West Street: John is a brushmaker.
1911 census RG14, piece no. 12725

1921 Mr B Balkwill, manager of Lloyds' Bank, was appointed treasurer of the Ashburton and Buckfastleigh Cottage Hospital. 
Western Times 13 May 1921 p10 col1

Benjamin Balkwill's funeral was held at Ashburton after his death at Braunton in 1938. He had been manager of the local branch of Lloyds for nearly 20 years, succeeding Mr C J Jeffery in 1909, and leaving Ashburton in 1927.
Western Times 24 June 1938, p5 col5

From Kelly's Directory of Devonshire 1935:
B W Blight, manager Lloyds Bank, East St. He had succeeded Mr. E Dyson as manager in 1934, and retired in 1950, after 44 years service.
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 13 October 1950 p6 col3

From Richard Blight: 'Bertram William Brown Blight served in WWI with the 9th Devons and was badly injured at Gheluvelt. He was taken prisoner of war and was exchanged as part of a Red Cross prisoner exchange in 1918, before the end of the war. The scheme  swapped prisoners who were so badly injured that they would not be able to fight again.

After a number of years in hospital he was given his old job back at the Capital and Counties Bank in his home town of Plymouth.

Before she was married, my grandmother was walking along Plymouth Hoe with a friend when her friend said, "Be careful, that is Bertram Blight coming towards us. I warn you he has been badly injured during the war."

My grandmother prepared herself for a shock, but she said, "Instead of a shock I saw his beautiful blue eyes, and fell in love with him." The net result of that meeting was 2 sons, 3 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren and I can't remember how many great great grandchildren so far'.

After marrying, they moved to Totnes where my father and uncle were born, before moving to Ashburton, where he was the bank manager. They lived in the rooms above the bank.*'

Many thanks to Richard Blight ,Bertram Blight's grandson, for the above information.

* The 1939 register shows the family, with Bertram as a bank manager, living at 2 East St., the address of the Capital and Counties Bank

From Ashburton, Buckfastleigh, Brent and Ivybridge Almanac 1906:
Devon and Cornwall Banking Co., East St, manager - Mr C J Jeffery 

Lloyds Bank absorbed the Devon and Cornwall in 1906, and the bank then became known as Lloyds.
Research by Nigel Brown, information from the Lloyds archives

In 1919 the premises at 19 East Street were sold to the National Provincial. 
Research by Nigel Brown, information from the Lloyds archives

 52 year old Arthur Conroy, his wife Kathleen and three children were at Hazelwood, East Street, Ashburton, at the time of the 1921 census. Arthur was a banker, employed by the Nb P and U Bank of England.
1921 census RG15, piece no. 10435, schedule 32

1928 saw the funeral of Mr Arthur Conroy, 56, manager of the Ashburton branch of the National Provincial bank 'since established 8 years ago'

Amongst the mourners were: B W Blight (Lloyds Bank), N? H Shellard (Midland Bank) H W Snow (National Provincial Bank)
Western Times 20 July 1928 p13 col1

Hy Stanley Joyce, manager National Provincial, Bank Ho East St

Henry Stanley Joyce (1882-1961) wrote several books about fishing and the countryside, including 'By Field and Stream', which he published at Ashburton in 1934.
https://www.abebooks.co.uk

In 1911 he was a bank clerk, boarding at Folkestone; by the time of his marriage* in 1917 he was a cashier at the Dulverton branch of the National and Provincial.
*To Elizabeth Ruby Sanders
1911 census RG14, piece no 4639 
North Devon Journal 15 November 1917 p4 col6

At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Henry and his wife were living in Barnstaple. Henry was a retired bank manager.
1939 register

From Mike McDonald: 'Uncle Harry loved the countryside, and became quite well known in England as an angler and writer on rural topics. He wrote about six books and many articles for publications such as Field and Stream, which he illustrated himself with watercolours and pen-and-ink drawings...He wanted to be a farmer, but his mother thought that wasn't good enough for him, so he was made to join a bank against his will. He became a manager of the National Provincial in Barnstaple, and apparently was quite good at it, but never enjoyed the work. He was good at swimming, and at one time instructed the Portsmouth police in lifesaving. My mother told me he saved someone's life by jumping off a pier in Poole harbour and rescuing them.

At one point in his life he shared living quarters with Capt R F Scott, and was supposed to accompany him on his ill-fated 1910 expedition to the South Pole as a naturalist but was unable to go because of lack of space. A relative has a letter from Capt Scott to Uncle Harry explaining that he did not have room for him on the expedition, but inviting him to come on the next one, which of course never came about.'

Many thanks to Mike McDonald, and to Brian Joyce for permission to reproduce Mike's piece from:
http://www.wheathampstead.net/genealogy/joycefhdec.shtml - Accessed 17-12-2016

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Above: The National Provincial Bank. Circa 1950s?
From my own collection

The Ashburton branch of NatWest closed in 2015

                                                         The Devon and Exeter Savings Bank

1878 Miss Susan Beck is the agent for the Devon and Exeter Savings Bank in East Street. It is open from 12 until 2 on Tuesdays, and 2 until 5 on Saturdays.
White's History, Gazetteer and Directory of Devon, 1878-79, p108

Devon and Exeter Savings Bank, East Street. Miss S Skinner, agent.
Kelly's Directory for Devonshire 1902 p 32

Above and above right: A Devon and Exeter Savings Bank book from the mid 1960s.

Mrs B D Webb is the manager, and the address of the bank is 8 West Street.
From my own collection.

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