one, where the ledgers are kept, the "counting-house;" doubtless these terms originated with the goldsmith's shop. Amongst the accounts in the books of the old firm no one account is more interesting than that of Nell Gwyn and of her executors. She died in debt to Francis Child and John Rogers in 1687. I subjoin an extract made from a folio in the ledger, by which it will be seen her executors agree to the debt and to pay the moderate rate of interest, 5 per cent.,-especially moderate then, when money was generally at 6 per cent. "The Hon: Mad: Gwinn "The accompt being stated between Mr Child & Mr Rogers on ye one part and y executors of Madam Gwin on ye other part there appeared to be due for principall and interest ye sum of Six thousand nine hundred pounds, whereof was paid to them by Sir Stephen Fox on ye behalf of ye Duke of St Albans Two Thousand Three hundred pounds and by ye Sale of 14443 ounces of plate which ye executors doe absolutely sell to them amounting to Three Thousand seaven hundred ninety one pounds five shillings, nine pence. So that there remaines due unto ye said Mr Child & M' Rogers onely Eight hundred & eight pounds for ye interest whereof ontill ye same be repaid ye sd Mr Child & Mr Rogers do agree to accept of Five pounds p. cent in witness whereof ye Etors have here unto put their hands this seaventh day of January 1687. It is recorded that in the year Rochester*. 1689 the stability of Child's Bank for a moment became precarious in conse *Lawrence Hyde, Earl of Rochester. Lord Sydney, Viscount of Sheppey. § Eighth Earl of Pembroke. quence of a rumour becoming prevalent that a run was about to be made upon it; this coming to the knowledge of Sarah Duchess of Marlborough (then Lady Churchill), she at once set to work and collected amongst her friends as much gold as she was able, which she brought down to the bank in her coach on the very morning the run was to be made, so enabling the firm to meet all demands. Hogarth made a spirited sketch of the Duchess's coach stopping at Temple Bar, and another sketch of Her Grace appearing in the Bank, following porters carrying bags of gold. No entry of the above can be met with in the books of the firm; but we think it worth mentioning as we have no reason for doubting it, as these and others are mostly founded to a certain degree on facts. Sir Francis Child, Knt., Goldsmith, was elected Alderman of Farringdon Ward Without on the 22nd of October, 1689, Sheriff in 1690, and Lord Mayor in 1699. He was President of Christ's Hospital in 1702. In 1705 he rebuilt the ward over the east cloister, and upon a tablet in front of the building is inscribed :-- "Anno 1705. This ward was rebuilt at the sole charge of Sir Francis Child Knt sometime Lord Mayor, and now President of this house." See Trollope's History of Christ's Hospital,' page 118. His portrait, together with that of his son, are hung in the board-room of this hospital. There is likewise a full-length portrait of Sir Francis с Child at Osterley Park, taken in 1699, in his robes as Lord Mayor. Between 1681-3 he was frequently addressed as Captain Child, so was, I presume, in one of the City Train Bands, most probably the Honourable Artillery Company. His arms were:-Gules, a chevron engrailed ermine between three eagles close argent; on an escutcheon of pretence, a chevron between three leopards' heads for Wheeler. In Faulkner's History of Fulham and Hammersmith,' page 302, it is stated that Sir Francis Child, who was Lord Mayor of London, 1699, built a mansion called East-end House; it is the first house on the east side of Parson's Green, where he resided many years. It is further recorded that he was chosen one of the four citizens to serve for the City in the first Parliament of Queen Anne. He was likewise the first banker who dropped the goldsmith's business. The ledgers prior to 1690 are much mixed up with banking accounts, goldsmiths' accounts, and occasional "pawnes" accounts, thus showing that the latter old and profitable branch of a goldsmith's trade lingered for a considerable period. An account headed "Pawnes" in 1669 was, a few folios further on, simply headed "P;" that is the origin of our present account designated by that letter. In some of the old ledgers are sketches of various jewels then possessed by the firm. John Rogers was born in 1655*; he appears to have * His name first appears on the 23rd of July, 1681, when he opened his account. been a cousin of Sir Francis Child, as his brothers (Edward Child and John Child) address him as "dear cousin." He lived at Stanmore, and had a son, James, who was not in the bank. John Rogers was a subscriber to the Holy Bible printed in 1696. The family came from Heddington, Wiltshire, a place in which the Rogerses were for several generations Lords of the manor, and patrons and, some of the family, rectors of the parish. The Childs were originally also from this place. Mr. Henry Rogers, who entered the bank, was in the partnership in 1707; he was nephew of the above-named John Rogers, and died in 1735 a bachelor; his executors were Samuel and Francis Child. The Rev. Robert Rogers, his uncle, was private secretary to Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury. Henry Needham, who was a clerk in the house and whose signature is affixed to the bank-notes of 1729, was a connexion of the Rogers family. In these early days of banking, pass-books had not been invented, so a customer was wont to call at the bank and check his account in the ledger in the presence of one of the partners. The customer having agreed his account would sign his name on the folio of the ledger, stating "I allow this account;" and very frequently the partners signed as well. The first record of a pass-book being given or, rather, asked for, was when Lady Carteret in 1715 wrote as follows: “Mr Child I desire you will send ye money I called abt t'other morning in 50 pound bills as far as 300 & ye other hundred in 5 twenty pound bills. ye person I thought of sending to examine ye c 2 account is sick. I should be glad of a Book as I used to have at Mr Meads with an account of all that you have recd upon this article." And again another interesting letter on a similar subject, addressed to Mr. Henry Morse, one of the partners, from the Earl of Lichfield : "Sir. May 30: 1713. I love to go on in old formes if there be no reasons of consequence to y contrary, and there fore I send you ye writing that was allwayes put to ye foot of y accounts between M' Coggs and I when they were passed for every halfe yeares rents, and to this writing Mr Dann and I sett our hands I am Your affectionate I suppose my account is ready in your Bookes for my Michms rents and a duplicate of it for me and I will come and passe it ye first opportunity I have any leisure. This writing need not be set to ye account till I come because some small matter perhaps may be drawne upon you between this and then." Mr. Coggs was a goldsmith at the sign of the King's Head in the Strand. Many singular entries appear in the various accounts in the early ledgers, or posting-books as they were then called; for instance, in that of Sir Francis North on the 28th of February, 1674, there may be seen the following entry : "For a chamberpott 26 oz: at 5. 9 oz. & graving same &c } £7. 11. = A like item appears in the Earl of Exeter's account in 1678; only he has two! and 1686, in the Duke of Beaufort's account, "For a chamberpott & cover } £11. 10" |