Names Go back
AT THE BANK OF ENGLAND
Four members of the Challis family worked at the Bank of England so I went to the Bank's archive to find out more. The archive is situated in the third basement at Threadneedle Street.
Henry Williams CHALLIS (1801-1862)
When you joined the Bank staff, you were "elected" on to the staff. The "Examination of Clerks" books contained details of the candidates (in note form - lacking some punctuation). The entry for Henry read: "Since he left school has lived with his Father who keeps an Eating House 126 Great Surrey Street has been employed in the Bar, intends to reside with his Father who is going to retire, has good health is single, free from Debt, belongs to no club, good handwriting and ready at accounts."
Great Surrey Street is now known as Blackfriars Road.
Henry was elected in 1818 with a starting salary of £20 pa in the Accountants Department. This went up by £10 pa for three years then £5 pa for 4 years and then £8 pa in each of the next 15 years taking his salary up to £200 in 1840. In 1837 he was promoted to "third clerk" and in 1841 was appointed Deputy Principal. In 1847 he was appointed Principal Warrant Signer. This appears to have meant that he was in charge of the Bank Note Office. The archives have a paper he wrote (in a notebook) "Faint tracings of Bank Notes from the Mill at Laverstoke to the Accountant's Bank Note Library, Bank of England". I haven't investigated what this actually means.
I was keen to find out how senior he really was so I consulted the staff list for 1861 (called 'A List of the Servants of the Bank'). I chose 1861 because it was in November 1861 that his staff record states 'Name removed from list of clerks in consequence of mental infirmity and allowed during pleasure £360 per annum'. This ties in with his death certificate (1862) which stated "Dementia 2 years Paraplexy 4 days". Paraplexy is apparently stroke & paralysis.
The Bank comprised three departments and a number of branches. In the Accountant's Department his salary of £546 was exceeded only by that of the Chief Accountant (£1210) and the Deputy Chief Accountant (£805). The Cashier's department was somewhat larger and had 9 people on more than £546 including the Chief Cashier (£1200) and someone in the Discount Office (£1500). The Secretary's Department had 4 people on larger salaries. The senior people at the branches were called Agents and some 18 people at the branches were paid more than £546, some on as much as £2000. The staff lists do not include the Governor and members of the Court - much in the same way as the Chairman and Directors of a company may be kept separate from ordinary staff.
George Ward CHALLIS (1842-1903)
George was elected in February 1861 and worked in the Bill Office. However, he quit in September 1862. So he didn't stay long. His "Examination of Clerks" entry is of some interest: "Was for a short time at Merchant Taylors' School and afterwards at a private grammar school at Clapham. Left school in March 1858 and since that time has been employed in the Counting House of Messrs Samuel Dobree & Sons of Tokenhouse Yard from whom he has produced a satisfactory testimonial. (Writing very good, dictation very good, quick at accounts)".
Morgan Lewis CHALLIS (c1835-1873)
George's eldest brother is named after his maternal grandfather. Morgan was
elected to the staff in 1855 but in 1872 was "removed from list of clerks
(mental infirmity)". His "Examination of Clerks
" entry reads: "Was educated at the
William CHALLIS (1869-1951)
This was a son of Morgan. He entered the bank in 1888 aged 19 and retired in 1929 as Superintendent, Dividend Accounts Office.
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Also Rees Pryce JERVIS (c1801-1867), who married Mary Sarah CHALLIS (c1806-1876), was a clerk at the Bank of England but I did not become aware of this until after my visit to the Bank.