New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-15
GOSLING'S BANK DEMOLISHED.
A FAMOUS OLD LONDON ESTABLISHMENT
MAKES WAY FOR MODERN I'M
PROVEMENTS


From TIE London Mall
! Opposite 81. Dunstan's Church and next doc
but one To The Cock Tavern. In Fieet-st.. stand
the old building known for nearly one hundrc
and nifty years GOsling's Bank
II Is plain four gablcd stored house. with
! wink securely protected from assault by nail
/ studded shutters and stout iron ratings Al
! tached to thcs" ratings is. 1T the pr sent ~"
/ mcnt painted board. instrucfing the pasS'r-l.
| that the business ~ the bank Is removed to NJ
| ~ Carcy-st.. Iincons Inn. pending the icInpli
| tion II the old building and TIN. erection #
paiatlal modern banking house upon its site
Nearly two years ago the Unsuitable mln e.
the Joint stock dragon. represented by MrsTs
Barclay Il 60. Limited. swallowed the ;hr.
squirrels ~ the old and hDnOrcd bank of Cos
ling 4 Sharp
Tn" mists IT prc-Commonwralth antiquit,
Shruui alik. IN. birth II tn, Thrr. Squirrels
and the beginnings of the firm Of which M,
were the sign. Nevertheless. Gosling boasts
pedigree and descent better authenticate
than many IN Burke or D"brett II dates fr'u
the ysar following the execution Of King Charlie
l. when one Henry Pinckury A name stil wei
known IN banking circles. owned the business
N" had ~ Is SUPPOSED. migrated from the old
goldsmith ncichborhood II the Chcpe and LON
hardy. ahead Of the general movement OF his feel
lows. which commenced f"W years later. -
so doing h. did not however escape the er-,,
nrc. which laid the Sign of the Three squirrels
IN ashes.
rinckncy lived until l6TS his brother who
was also a goldsmith. succeeding To- tn" bust
ness The next rcgnng partner was one AbrG.
hnn Chambers who caiu. to an untirn-iy End
near llford Ess'N being pinkci by iiscrimi.
mating highNHyman In 1893 His successor
James Chambers. died more peacefully ana was
buried across the way IN st Dunstan's Church.
ON his memorial stone he Is described rs bcin;
n Man Courteous t. his Neigh
hours Hearty 10 his Friends. and
Singularly Just To Every Body.
Very Ii'n'iic'nt To hi. Relatives
To- whom He parted with upwards
OF ;2oW~ during his lifetime"
fIis partners GEORGE Wanlcy and George era
dock Carried .hc business until the lntter-
death. IN l1l9 when 1t WAS ninalgamatcd with
that Of Richard Nichols and A. Fowler After
the demise OF Nichols. James Rookie. and in
lI21 John Simpson. joined the partnership.
Thomas Ward joined the firm when the death Of
the other partner had left Simpson sole success
sor. ard II Was ward who admitted the name Of
Gosling into the business. in the person Of Sir
Francis Gosling. an Alderman 81 the ward Of
Harrington Without. and master OF the Sta.
TONERS Company In 1896. Before this the
banks name had become that of Gosing II Ben
net. and in l,Il Sir Francis took his brother
into partnership
From li'I! the title Of the firm was Gosling
Gosing Give. but when. in 1893. benjamin
sharp" entered the business. the style crystal
ized finally into the form Of Goslings n SHARPE
which. In conjunction with the Three Squirrels
appeared on the check forms and drafts until
the middle Of lNWi, or during more than one
hundred years
Great men and historical characters banked
with Goslings. Warren Hastings and Give
Pope. Warburton Samuel Richardson Ca,ndcn
ltllenborough. Bishop Percy. the Tonsons Long.
mans. Rivingtons and Sir Philip Francis die
r"putcd author OF the Letters ~ Junius', L,.It
accounts there.
Like the Duncombcs. who founded Martins
l'ank at the sign Of the Grasshopper upon Corn
hill, Goslings had the honor Of minstrring to
the financial needs Of King Charles H. The
Hoarcs. Goslinas' trade rivals and next To next
door n"ighbors. only came to Fleet-st from
'h"apsd" in 1880. Divided by a couple of
houses on one side Of the road. the rcprcs,Slta-
tiV"s Of the two firms are united In death in the
vaults of st Dunstan's In the West In this
church rcbuilt In lS'2) the Goslings and tho
lIoarrs possessed chapcs over their respective
nauSole,ilns. but on opposite sides of the .di,ice
whereas. however. the Iioares have several
with their sign Of the Three Crowns
IN armorial shields. on the walls of their chanel
those or the Gosling recess occupied by the
memorials Of strangers. Chambers plain tablet
II In another part OF the church. TIA, only
memorial OF the GosngS is the statue of Queen
Elizabeth over the vestry door An inscription
records that. having been taken down from the
west Side OF Lud Gate. II was placed I'm Its Lres-
mt position by Sir Francis Gosling Kt I'm lI6O |
The pulling down Of the old house the rebuild |
ms OF which will take nearly three years re- |
moves landmark from F1cet-st., and Will |
expose the bulk Of Goldsmith bild- |
ngs In the Temple upon which tho present |
AOu3c abutA !