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Pares's Leicestershire Banking Co Ltd

Pares's Leicestershire Banking Co Ltd (1800-1902), established in Leicester, was a past constituent of NatWest.

Brief history

This private bank was established in 1800 as Pares, Heygate & Co by Thomas Pares, Thomas Paget, John Pares and James Heygate. The Pares and Heygate families were already linked through involvement in the Leicester hosiery business of Pares & Heygate and the London office of this firm acted as London agents of the bank until 1831, when they were succeeded by Smith, Payne & Smiths of London.

Thomas Pares and Thomas Paget left the partnership in 1824 and James Heygate died in 1833, while William Heygate, son of James, and Isaac Hodgson joined in 1813 and 1825 respectively. In 1836 the bank converted into a joint stock company as Pares's Leicestershire Banking Co. Its paid-up capital was £16,350, which was doubled in 1837.

By 1855 agencies had been opened at Loughborough, Lutterworth, Melton Mowbray and Ashby-de-la-Zouche. The bank assumed limited liability in 1880 as Pares's Leicestershire Banking Co Ltd. In 1902 the bank was acquired by Parr's Bank Ltd of Warrington and London.

Branches: The bank opened 13 branches, sub-branches and agencies between 1800 and 1902. In 1902 4 branches and 9 sub-branches and agencies were operating.

Published histories

  • DL Wykes, 'Banking in Nineteenth Century Leicester, Pares's Bank, St Martin's, Leicester', in The Leicester Archaeological and Historical Society Transactions, Vol.LX1X (1995), pp.150-3

Summary of our archive holdings

Our archival records of Pares’s Leicestershire Banking Co Ltd have the reference code PAR.

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

Corporate records

  • share transfer journal 1836-65
  • deeds of settlement 1836-1902
  • directors' meeting minute books 1836-1902
  • annual reports 1836-1902
  • annual general meeting minute book 1837-1902
  • share certificates 1841, 1886, 1899
  • share register 1880-3
  • shareholder circular 1880, 1901
  • share transfer notice book 1889-1902
  • directors' meeting rough minute book 1890-1902
  • amalgamation papers 1901-2
  • dividend counterfoil 1902

Financial records

  • banker's draft 1825
  • bill of exchange 1836
  • private ledgers 1836-1902
  • monthly balance book 1844-1902
  • private cash books 1880-96
  • balance sheet booklets 1895, 1901
  • certified balance sheets 1896-1901
  • auditor's bill of charges 1901
  • schedule of bad and doubtful debts 1902

Customer records

  • cheques 1803-75
  • customer correspondence 1825-96
  • customer account ledger 1826-7
  • indemnity re cheque 1833
  • customer transaction sheets 1898-9

Staff records

  • staff fidelity bond 1893
  • photographs of directors n.d., 1890s
  • portrait of William Unwin Heygate 19th cent

Property records

  • premises photographs 1898, c.1900
  • branch architectural drawings 1899-1902
  • construction agreement and bill of charges, Leicester branch 1899-1904
  • rates, rent, insurance and utilities demands and receipts 1900-1

Note issue records

  • banknotes 1809-1902
  • banknote indemnity papers 1841, 1874-82

Summary of archive holdings elsewhere