Evening journal., 1913-10-03
GOSSIP OF THE COURTS
BY FL AN Z U r.

II the bank notes issued by the
"Old Lady Of Threadneedle street"
(the Bank Of England) had been
gifted with the power OF speech, they
might have given innumerable tales
of romance. tragedy, and adventure
to the world Here is an example.
There is preserved in the Bank Of
England library q 81 note with these
words written on IL: III this note
gets into the hands of John Dear, Of
Longhill. near Carlisle, his brother
Andrew is a prisoner in Algiers.' This
notification was copied into a Carlisle
newspaper. and John Dear thus be-
came aware OF the whereabouts Of
his long-lost brother.
Among other curiositics in the
bank library there is bank note
dated 18th Xber 1899" for e555.
This is the oldest bank note known to
be in existence. In appearance and
design Il is very similar to the pres
ent-day notes. Another interesting
note Is one for 1000 pounds. which
Lord Cochrane paid as fine, im-
posed upon him for his alleged con-
nection with tho fraud of raising the
public funds. It As indorscd with
these words. my health having
suffered by long and close cOnfne-
mont. and my oppressors having re-
solved TO deprive me Of my property
and life. ] submit TO robbery to pro-
tect myself from murder, I'm the hope
that shall live TO bring the delin
ments TO mstice.-COchranc Grated
chamber, Kings Bench Prison, 3 July,
1915"
One of the most unique notes in
the bank collection is one for 25
pounds. which was presented and
honored III years after it had been
issued
The largest amount for which the
Bank Of England note has been issued
is 100000 pounds. There are only
four of these million-pound notes IN
existence. One is preserved IN the IL
brary of the bank, another Is I'm the
possession Of the Rothschild family,
a third is owned by Messrs. Coutts,
the bankers. and the fourth is in the
hands of the descendants of Samuel
Rogers. the poet
happen TO know the history OF the
million pound Bank of England note,
made out 10 the Rothschilds. tor ! saw
il in the private Office of Lord James
Rothschild in the bank of y NJ. Roihs-
child q Sons. in St. Swithn's Lane. An
gel Court. Il was in the year of the
financial panic, known the world over
as "Black Friday and the Bank OF
England after superhuman efforts TO
stem the tide by throwing ready money
into the breach TO save commerce and
industry from threatened bankruptcy,
at last had to refuse help To the Liver
pool banks despite urgent appeal. Tho
latter then sent delegation to Queen
Victoria. who after a conference with
the governors of the Bank of Eng
land. sent for Lord Rothschild the only
banker whose resources, owing to his
great international connections had not
boon handicapped
Rothschid was we'll aware that the
Queen had millions of pounds safely IN
vested, and did not miuce his words.
He "was perfectly willing To step into
the breach" he said, III her majesty
would do her share, which. as sovereign
OF ihe country, IL was her duty TO
do
II was we'll known that Queen Vic
toria was rather miscrly. She had
something like 2OO0o.OO0 pounds in dif-
fercnt banks ON the Continent as a nest
egg. for her rather large family Roths-
child. OF course. was aware of thy
through his branch houses at Frankfort.
Paris and Vienna He did not hesitate
TO avert q national disaster. bui he was
determined that the Queen was 10 do
her share