Misc-Press-3

Press Cuttings

relating to the Birmingham Mail's Prize Draw, held in the Town Hall on October 31st 1919

In Part One of his book, Britain’s First Municipal Savings Bank, J P Hilton describes the History of the Birmingham Corporation Savings Bank.

Chapter 5 of that section of the book deals with Prize Schemes. The major scheme that was used to encourage saving in the Bank, was conducted under the auspices of the Birmingham Mail. The Editor of that newspaper supervised the draw made in Birmingham’s Town Hall on Friday, October 31st 1919. Boy Scouts made the draw, which resulted in total prize money of £378-10s-10d being paid to 51 winners in the main scheme, and £107 being paid to ten employees in five schemes sponsored by their employers.

All prize money was paid directly into the winners’ accounts in the Birmingham Corporation Savings Bank, except in the case of the First and Second Prizes. The winners of these received certificates for £100 and £50 of War Loan, which had been purchased for £95 and £47-10s-0d, with the balances of £5 and £2-10s-0d respectively, being paid into their accounts. Alternatively, they were given the option of having the whole prize value paid into their accounts.

The 51 prizes comprised:

1 @ £100; 1 @ £50; 1 @ 25 guineas; 5 @ 10 guineas

10 @ 5 guineas; 10 @ £5; 22 @ £2; 1 Consolation Prize of £3-5s-10d