Manx Bank Ltd

This bank commenced business on 11 November 1882 at its head office, 57 Victoria Street, Douglas, with branches at Castletown, Ramsey and Peel and a sub-branch at Port Erin. The authorised capital of £150,000 was composed of 25,000 shares of £6 each, £25,000 of the issued capital of £75,000 being paid up. The first directors were Robert Curphey, John Hoyle, Giles Metcalf, William Wade and William Kelly. William Kelly was the chairman and the manager was James M Sutherland.

Although there were already two established banks on the Island (Dumbell's Bank and the Isle of Man Banking Co) the fact the Manx Bank had a well distributed body of shareholders made the bank popular especially with country people and tradesmen. In August 1896, a deputation from the Mercantile Bank of Lancashire met representatives of the Manx Bank with a view to purchasing the latter. At this stage, however, the Union Bank of Liverpool was also interested, but when these negotiations failed, the Manx Bank again approached the Mercantile Bank of Lancashire in August 1900 and the amalgamation was completed in that year.

Materials available in Group Archives: examples of currency.