North Central Finance Ltd

This hire purchase company was established in 1861 as North Central Wagon Co by a group of investors to let wagons to railway companies on a 'purchase lease' (that is, hire purchase). It was incorporated as a joint stock company with limited liability, North Central Wagon Co Ltd, in 1894. In 1928 Sir Connop Guthrie and Prudential Insurance Co bought all the ordinary capital in the company. Prudential remained a major shareholder until 1958.

North Central acquired Lincoln Wagon & Engine Co (incorporated 1873) and its subsidiaries Southern Counties Car Finance Corporation and Consumer Credit Corporation. North Central also acquired other companies in the 1920s and 1930s. After the nationalisation of the railways in 1948 the company became involved in the business of motor car hire purchase, changing its name to North Central Wagon & Finance Co Ltd.

In 1958 National Provincial Bank, North Central's own banker, bought the company's entire share capital. In 1961 the company changed name to North Central Finance Ltd. In 1968 National Provincial announced its merger with Westminster Bank, and North Central Finance Ltd consequently became part of the newly-formed National Westminster Bank in 1970.

In 1971 North Central merged with Lombard Banking, which National Westminster Bank had bought in 1970, to form Lombard North Central Ltd. 

Published histories

• Lombard: 150 Years of Innovation (Redhill: privately published by the Royal Bank of Scotland, 2011)

Summary of our archive holdings

Our archival records of North Central Finance Ltd have the reference code NCF.

For help understanding words used here, check our glossary of banking record types (PDF 68 KB).

Corporate records

• certificates of incorporation and change of name 1851-94
• memoranda and articles of association: 1861-1961, subsidiaries 1873-68
• directors' meeting minute books: incl. half-yearly reports 1861-1972, private 1958-71
• directors' meeting agenda books 1874-1970
• registration as limited company 1894
• minute books: Wagon Repairs Association 1912-27, Wagon Repairs Ltd 1917-20
• registers of shareholders 1928-73
• transfer registers: preference shares 1931-5, debenture 1907-72
• promotional leaflets 1920s-30s
• amalgamation papers: Lincoln Wagon & Engine Co Ltd 1932-42, Lombard Banking Ltd 1970-1
• general meeting minutes 1933-69
• share registers: ordinary shares 1937-58, preference shares 1971
• directors' attendance books 1940-66
• annual reports 1945-70
• directors' report and accounts 1967-70

Financial records

• guardbooks of half-yearly reports and balance sheets 1861-1949
• journals 1866-1934
• bills receivable book 1892-1936
• papers re excess profits duty c.1918
• register of drawn cheques 1935-6
• income tax book 1939-42
• dealers commission ledger 1959-73
• general ledger 1968-73

Purchase records

• plant purchase agreements 1947-8

Customer records

• specifications of contracted wagons 1867-1919
• rents due books 1883-1913
• wagon tenants account ledger 1922-47
• wagon rental ledger 1926-45
• contract book 1926-47
• leasing agreements 1929-49
• correspondence re requisitioned wagons 1939
• cheque book 1948-61
• photographs of leased wagons 1950s
• customer ledgers 1928-52

Staff records

• appointment agreements 1939-47
• customer account ledgers 1948-59
• correspondence re staff 1949-64
• head office salary books 1955-72
• staff photographs 1950s
• salary books 1960-72
• company history 1961
• staff magazines 1959-63

Property records

• papers re property alteration, Rotherham 1955-60

Marketing records

• presscuttings 1878-95
• promotional leaflet, deposit accounts 1958