Gillett and Co, Banbury and Oxford

This early country bank was established as Bignell, Heydon and Watt, also known as Banbury New Bank, the Bignells being solicitors and the Heydons mercers. In 1819, the business was acquired by Richard and Charles Tawney, and, by now styled as Gillett and Tawney, was forced to close briefly in the general financial panic of 1825, but reopened with support from its customers. The business, through the Quaker Gillett family, expanded thereafter and opened at Oxford in 1877. There was also a connection with the London discount house of Gillett Bros. Gillett and Co of Banbury and Oxford amalgamated with Barclays Bank Ltd in 1919. Arthur Gillett, who had been a partner of Gillett and Co from 1904, became a local director in Oxford on the amalgamation with Barclays, and also held a seat on the main board from 1921 until 1949.

Material available at Group Archives:

• partners' ledgers
• agreements and correspondence
• customer account ledgers early 19th century
• interest ledger 1840-1886
• bank note ledger 1819-1824
• cheques
• bank notes
• notes on crisis of 1825
• notes on the bank's history