Western Branch of The Royal Bank of Scotland The Story of a Bank and its Building The Royal Bank of Scotland *************************? ***********************^^ ^^ OTTO OTTO OTTO OTTO^ OTTO^ OTTO OTTO OTTO ^^ ^!i *******************jl£ ^11^ ^^ ^0I£ ^11^ ^1^ %ll^ %ll^ %^l t *****************9l ******************************? ******************************? ******************************** ******************************** ******************************** ******************************** ******************************** ******** ************************ ******************************* ****************************** BUSINESS ARCHIVES COUNCIL f KG CHARITY No. 315536 "... The more I see of it the more its Magnitude and the Greatness of the Design strikes me ... For great it is, and tho9 there are some things, of inferior moment, which a nice eye may discern not so well executed, the principal and main parts are executed in the most masterly stile both as to Substance and Beauty..." Thomas Harrison, agent to the Earl of Uxbridge, commenting on the grand remodelling of Uxbridge House, now Western Branch of The Royal Bank of Scotland, in 1787. The Royal Bank of Scotland WESTERN BRANCH At the end of the seventeenth Clifton and wanted a house suited to /^century the site of Western his new social position. Leoni was a J- JB- Branch was open fields, fashionable architect who was to part of the estate of the Earl of become influential in the English Burlington who owned the newly Palladian revival and designed a built Burlington House (now The pleasant, south-facing house with Royal Academy) on the north side of Corinthian columns and seven Piccadilly. In 1717 the 3rd Earl of windows on each floor overlooking Burlington refashioned the mansion the gardens of Burlington House. in Palladian style, an architectural The Earl of Burlington, an admirer taste he had acquired in Italy during of Leoni, showed considerable his recent grand tour of Europe. He interest in the construction of the was, however, already deeply in house, to the extent of designing an debt and from 1718 began to develop ornamental courtyard gateway for the area between Piccadilly and the west front. The grand stairs, what is now Regent Street by which were an important feature of granting building leases for quality Leoni's house, still survive in an town houses around a cluster of altered form. parallel streets running north to Upon the death of his wife south. The streets laid out at this Part of Stow's map of the parish of Clifton decided not to take the time included Cork Street, Great St James's Westminster showing the new house. Instead, in 1722, when it was Burlington Street (now Old building plots laid out in almost at fitting-out stage, the Burlington Street and Savile Row, c.1720. Burlington Street) and Savile Street property was bought by the 3rd (now Savile Row and named after Duke of Queensberry, a cousin of Lady Dorothy Savile, the 3rd Earl's the plot on which Western Branch the Earl of Burlington. The Duke wife). Burlington Gardens, then now stands to John Witt, a took up residence in 1724 and his known as Vigo Passage (formerly prominent builder. Witt was later home, thereafter known as Glasshouse Street), was no more commissioned by John Bligh, an Queensberry House, became a place than a rough, narrow lane running Irish member of parliament, to of fashionable resort. There were along the wall bordering the create a small mansion to the designs balls and masquerades presided northern edge of the gardens of of Venetian architect Giacomo over by the Duchess of Burlington House. Leoni. Bligh had recently been Queensberry, and the Duke, who In 1719 Burlington's agents let elevated to the peerage as Baron was a great patron of the arts, The Royal Bank of Scotland WESTERN BRANCH The grand staircase, an indicator of the beauty of Giacomo Leoni's original architectural design, rises in three flights from the banking hall. The hand rail of the handsome wrought iron bannister is finely veneered with mahogany. adopted John Gay (author of The 4th Duke of Queensherry. The new Paget, who had recently been Beggar's Opera) as his particular Duke took no interest in the created Earl of Uxbridge. Five years protege. Gay was a regular visitor Burlington Gardens property, later Uxbridge bought the property and died in Queensberry House in preferring to remain resident at his outright. However, he wanted 1732. house in nearby Piccadilly until something larger for his residence The Duke passed away in 1778, a moving to a new villa in Richmond than the plain, square house of the little over a year after his wife, and in 1780. Queensberry House, 3rd Duke of Queensberry and, left the house to his kinsman, the therefore, stood empty until 1785 having renamed the property Earl of March, henceforward the when it was leased to Henry, Lord Uxbridge House, commissioned The Royal Bank of Scotland WESTERN BRANCH architect John Vardy to alter and enlarge Leoni's building. Vardy extended the south front eastward to Savile Row and built a new wing facing Old Burlington Street to which the main entrance was moved. Inside, at great expense, the house was totally refurbished using the services of John Linnell, an eminent furniture designer, and a number of other fashionable craftsmen. A library was made where the main entrance had been, the great stairway cleaned and repaired, and a dining room and drawing room added on the ground and first floors at the east end. The Earl of Uxbridge died in Queensberry House in 1785. March 1812 and ownership of the house passed, with the earldom, to his son. The 2nd Earl had assigned to the Marquess' bankers, to defend his support of the commanded cavalry at Waterloo, Andrew and John Drummond of emancipation cause in the House of where he lost a leg, and he was later Charing Cross (a banking house Lords. By the early 1830s his health rewarded by the Prince Regent with established in 1717 and now owned was failing and it seemed that the the title of Marquess of Anglesey. by The Royal Bank of Scotland) as house might have to be sold, but on His father had spent extravagantly security for a loan of £10,000. two occasions plans to dispose of the on the reconstruction of the house, In 1827 Anglesey abandoned his property fell through for want of a living well above his income, and his military career and took to politics. realistic offer. During the following son was little different offering He was created Lord Lieutenant of years Anglesey spent much time in hospitality at Burlington Gardens on Ireland at a time when the country residence at Burlington Gardens and a most generous scale. In 1816 the was seething with discontent over many leading political figures would house was mortgaged, an the question of catholic certainly have visited him there. In encumbrance which in 1821 was emancipation and was recalled 1838 Viscount Melbourne, the prime The Royal Bank of Scotland WESTERN BRANCH was shelved until June 1855 when a working party was set up to consider what premises were available and how such a branch might be run. Thereafter no time was lost and within two months the Governor 'reported that he had purchased the house in Burlington Street known as Uxbridge House (for the purpose of converting it into a branch bank) for £42,500'. The Marquess of Anglesey's executors were no doubt glad to dispose of it. A few months earlier the Bank of England had appointed a new architect, Philip C Hardwick. Hardwick, who had been working on The vaulting of the oval dome above the staircase is decorated with exquisite mouldings plans for a new Bank of England executed in the late 1780s by eminent plasterer Joseph Rose. office in Hull, was greatly interested by the project to convert the old minister, is known to have dined at years offices were established in mansion in Burlington Gardens into Uxbridge House. In April 1854 the thirteen other centres. Their a branch bank. Contemporary Marquess of Anglesey died and the primary purpose was to expand the correspondence shows that he was following year the house was sold by circulation of the Bank of England's studying plans of the house and his executors to the Bank of notes in the provinces. However, in urgently pressing for possession in England. December 1840, a suggestion came mid-July, although, in the event, In 1826 an act of parliament had before the Court of Directors to completion of the purchase was ended the Bank of England's open in London a 'branch bank of delayed until early August whilst the monopoly of joint stock banking and deposit at the west end of town', for title deeds were sent back from the authorised it to open branches the convenience of customers in new Crimea. outside London. The first branch residential areas, like Belgravia, Uxbridge House was not well was opened in Gloucester in July which were developing at a distance suited to the purposes of a bank and 1826 and over the next eighteen from the City. This recommendation required more extensive alteration The Royal Bank of Scotland WESTERN BRANCH than had been anticipated. Nonetheless the work was completed by late September when the new branch was reported as comprising 'a large drawing office well lighted with entrance hall, a waiting room, agent's room and a clerks' washing room, on the ground floor. Below, approached by an iron staircase from the office, are spacious vaults for plate and deeds, treasury and room for books, with a hydraulic lift... rooms for porter and agents offices. Above are three storeys appropriated for the residence of the two agents and properly separated'. The present entrance and portico on the south front was constructed at this time, the main doorway having previously opened onto Old Burlington Street.