CHARTERED BANK OF INDIA, AUSTRALIA AND CHINA: ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0074 CLC/B/207/CH04
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: CHARTERED BANK OF INDIA, AUSTRALIA AND CHINA: ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL
Date(s)	: 1852 - 1976
Level of description	: sub fonds View parent record
Extent	: 114.02 linear metres
Name of creator(s)	: Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China | Chartered Bank

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, known from 1956 as The Chartered Bank, was established by Royal Charter in 1853. It was an overseas exchange bank, based in and controlled from the City of London. It was established to take advantage of the end of the East India Company's monopoly in 1853.

The bank operated in India and throughout the Far East - in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Siam [Thailand], Burma [Myanmar], Singapore, Malacca, Penang and the Malay States, the Philippines, Japan, Java, Sumatra, Ceylon [Sri Lanka], North Borneo, Brunei, Sarawak, Pakistan and East Pakistan. There were also branches in New York [United States of America] and Hamburg [Germany]. Despite its name, the bank never operated in Australia.

Further UK branches opened in Manchester (1937) and Liverpool (1948). The bank gained a second London office and additional branches in India, Pakistan, China and Ceylon with the takeover in 1938 of the P and O. Banking Corporation.

The bank's activities in the Far East were severely disrupted by World War Two and nationalist post-war governments in the region. The takeover in 1957 of rival Eastern Bank presented new opportunities. Eastern Bank was active in Chartered Bank's traditional areas of operation, but also had branches in the Middle East - in Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, Lebanon, Qatar, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman. In the same year, Chartered Bank purchased the Ionian Bank's interests in Cyprus.

The bank operated from various City of London addresses: 1852 first two meetings of directors at 8 Austin Friars; November 1852 offices acquired at 21 Moorgate. December 1853 - 1855 rented offices at South Sea House, Threadneedle Street. 1855 rented offices at 34 Gresham House, Old Broad Street. June 1857 - 1866 rented offices in the City Bank building at Threadneedle Street. 1867 Former Hatton Court building on Threadneedle Street. In 1909 they moved into newly built premises on the former site of Crosby Hall where they were still at the time of the merger with Chartered Bank in 1969.

For further information on the history of the bank see Sir Compton Mackenzie, Realms of silver: one hundred years of banking in the East (London, 1954) and Geoffrey Jones, British multinational banking 1830-1990 (Oxford, 1993).

Oversight of the accounting and financial functions of the bank was managed by the Chief Accountant (known as 'Accountant and Registrar' (to 1875) then 'Accountant' (to 1904) then 'Chief Accountant' (1905 onwards). He was part of the Bank's senior-level staff and was based at Head Office.

Until 1909 the Chartered Bank was not authorised to act as a general banking business in London, therefore cash for Head Office customer accounts had to be obtained from the City Bank and any monies had to be paid in there also.

The Secretary also kept close contacts with the Chief Accountant's office and many reports and letters actioned by the Chief Accountant and his staff were copy-letters addressed to the Secretary.

The Chief Accountant's office also managed/was closely involved with various other departments-
*The Inspection Department: (created in 1906 and headed by the Chief Accountant)
*The Bullion Department: This was in existence by 1908
*The Taxation and Statistics Department: This was in existence by the 1930s/40s and appears to have fallen within the Chief Accountant's remit. In 1953 the Bank published a brief history using statistics prepared by Mr J English of the Taxation and Statistics Department. Mr English later became Chief Accountant.
*The Secretary's Department, especially regarding the acquisition/merger and ongoing management of the various banks acquired by Chartered Bank (including P and O Banking Corporation, Eastern Bank and Allahabad Bank).

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, later known as the Chartered Bank. Records date from 1851, just prior to the foundation of the bank in 1853 and include reference to the operation and management of the business covering both branches, agencies and head office. There is information relating to premises and staff, inspection of branches and customer accounts, some records of legal actions as well as general administrative records created and maintained by the secretaries and general managers.

Highlights include records relating to the bank during times of War, from accounts of local rebellions and riots through to the Second World War which saw two thirds of the banks' branches occupied by the Japanese and over 100 of the banks' European officers interned. There is a series of letters within the records of the Secretary and a number of personal reminiscences recounting the courageous actions of trustworthy staff members trying to salvage bank records from being seized by the Japanese, from those in internment camps and accounts of conditions in occupied countries (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/07) and a register of employees interned in prisoner of war camps or killed during enemy action (CLC/B/207/CH08/01/004).

There is a series of posterity files (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/09-13) consisting of over 1,300 documents which were retained by the Secretary as a research resource and for historical interest covering a remarkable range of subjects such as legal wrangles and reports on trading conditions in particular countries reflecting how the bank was responsive to early economic development and new trade when seeking to expand its network of branches.

The 'Realms of Silver' centenary publication research files are a valuable source on the history of the bank (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/14-17) covering a range of topics such as key commodities in particular areas, they show staff enduring disease, plague, famine and drought, rebellion and revolution, earthquakes, floods and fire and highlight how the activities of the Bank have touched upon events of world history as well as of local development, often reflecting creative solutions that the bank employed to overcome such problems and tribulations.

There is an extensive collection of premises records (CLC/B/207/CH09) including plans of the branches and often subsequent upgrades and developments of branches and agencies in response to growing business needs. There are also photographs which show not only bank premises but also create a pictorial history reflecting the international operations of the Chartered Bank as well as showing local flora, fauna and methods of trade, for example, in Cebu the use of buffalo to move Hemp and in Burma the use of elephants in the emerging logging trade. They also reflect local tragedies such as the effects of the Yokohama Earthquake in Japan in 1923 (CLC/B/207/CH09/08; CLC/B/207/CH08/04; CLC/B/207/CH03/01/16)

There is an extensive series of records relating to accounts and financial matters (CLC/B/207/CH04), including general ledgers; a comprehensive series of half yearly balance sheets from branches and records of the Taxation and Statistics Department (which appears to have fallen under the auspices of the Chief Accountant.

There are also records relating to staff (CLC/B/207/CH08), which give details on the bank's application and registration process, and progress and activities of named staff when they took up their posts. These records include registers of staff (1874 - 1920), some staff applications and employment agreements (1900 - 1930) and an extensive series of half-yearly schedules of staff in overseas branches (1863 - 1960).

This subfonds includes: general ledgers (1852-1960); Profit and Loss summaries (1895-1970); journals (1914-1965); Government and Other Securities (1891-1975); Head Office Branch and London records (1858-1973); subsidiary and affiliated banks (1928-1970); suspense accounts (1881-1965); Bad debts (1927-1942); World War Two and Aftermath (1939-1959); Records of the Taxation and Statistics Department (which appears to have fallen under the auspices of the Chief Accountant, 1917-1970); Annual Audit (Head Office, 1926-1941); reprints of circulars issued between 1909 and 1932; specimen cheques (1950s).

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Arranged as follows:
CLC/B/207/CH04/01: General Ledgers
CLC/B/207/CH04/02: Profit and Loss
CLC/B/207/CH04/03: Journals
CLC/B/207/CH04/04: Government and other securities
CLC/B/207/CH04/05: Head Office: Branch and London records
CLC/B/207/CH04/06: Subsidiary and affiliated banks
CLC/B/207/CH04/07: Suspense accounts
CLC/B/207/CH04/08: Bad debts
CLC/B/207/CH04/09: World War Two and aftermath
CLC/B/207/CH04/10: Taxation and Statistics Department
CLC/B/207/CH04/11: Annual audit (Head Office)
CLC/B/207/CH04/12: Instructions to branches
CLC/B/207/CH04/13: Specimen cheques

Conditions governing access:

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

48 hours notice required for access.

PLEASE NOTE: Permission to access records less than 45 years old should be sought from the depositor.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright is held by the depositor.

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

The bank's archives were deposited in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library in 1989 and after. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
Added January 2014