The history of the Birmingham Municipal Bank (BMB) is
inextricably linked with its immediate predecessor: the Birmingham Corporation Savings Bank (BCSB). It was the efforts of Neville
Chamberlain and others to provide a savings facility for the citizens of Birmingham during the First World War that led to the setting
up of the BCSB. This short-lived bank paved the way for the BMB, and the struggle to establish it was therefore the struggle
to establish the BMB.
This section of the website expands on the brief summary of that struggle as described in the History of the Birmingham Municipal Bank
| HISTORY |
The scheme that Neville Chamberlain brought to the attention
of
the City's Finance Committee in 1916
The section of J P Hilton's book that described
the history of the Bank
The basic saving system used
Extracts from three
Personal Ledgers that recorded transactions on
Accounts numbered 1 to 2,000
Personal
Ledger that held accounts that did not conform to normal procedures
The formal process to wind-up
the temporary Bank
Council meetings held on October
7th 1919 and May 3rd 1921
21,482 Accounts with Balances totalling
£325,411
|
| LEGISLATION & REGULATION |
The Municipal Savings Banks (War Loan Investment)
Act, 1916
Regulations for the operation of the Bank as prescribed by The
Treasury
Regulations covering Deposits, Withdrawals, Nominations, etc
Rules made by the City Council and approved by
the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies
|
| MANAGEMENT |
Names of Members and Dates of Meetings
Involved in the early management
of the Bank
Background to the appointment made September 18th 1916
Reports made July 30th 1918; July 29th 1919; May 3rd 1921
Periodic
reports made to the Bank's Management Committee that chart the
progress of the Bank and the difficulties faced in establishing
a temporary
institution under wartime conditions
How the firm of Agar, Bates, Neal & Co came to
be appointed as Auditors
Meetings held on October 29th 1918; November
18th 1918;
November 29th 1918; December 19th 1918; June 23rd 1919;
June 26th 1919; July 7th 1919 regarding legislation,
hours of business,
branch premises, etc for the replacement permanent bank
|
| FINANCIALS |
Income
& Expenditure Accounts and Balance Sheets for the two years ending
September 30th 1918; Final Accounts for the period October
1st 1918 to
October 31st 1919; and the Account of the Liquidators: November 1st 1919 to
April 15th 1921
Summary of the Bank's trading period:
September 29th 1916 to October 31st 1919
|
| STAFF |
Members of staff employed in the initial 14 months of the Bank's existence
Background to the employment of 65 staff
Three photographs showing premises and staff
|
| MISCELLANEOUS |
|