Where Modern Banking Came From

Quite a Few Years ago I used to Moonlight selling Outbuildings and Garage Construction to Home Owners. ( Also enabled me to purchase some no longer required Off-Road Motorcycles)
In an area called Weltevreden Park , my last call for the Day was to an elderly Gentleman on a Smallholding who required an extra Garage. I gave him a quote and he asked me if I had some spare time, " Sure."

Lets call him Smith, He and his Wife had come to SA on Holiday , many years before , and had decided that when they retired they would come settle out here.
When the Smallholding came up they purchased it, and let it while they were still overseas. They had 2 Children, One in Canada , One in Australia , and Grandchildren , who they would go and Visit on Holidays.

"Do you know how the Modern Banks Started?" "No" from me.

Bank Security

Bank Colours

I was the Overall Manager of all the South-Eastern Branches of the Bank of England
Where this started was in the 1600's.

Pirates who never got caught would take their Treasures,

and purchase Estates from English Lord's and Gentry , who ( do things ever change?) ,

suffered from , Drinking , Womanising and Gambling ( not necessarily in that order). This occurred , more than you would think!
One of them , instead of purchasing , a country Estate , purchased a Fort Like Building in London . Have you heard the Saying, " No Honour Among Thieves ? ( in my version of History , the word Politician was swopped with the Thieves).

Anyhow this is rubbish as they all knew each other.

He sent a message to all the others saying " Bring all your goods ( ill gotten gains) here . You will no longer need to hire Guards and Feed them , we just need one central set in London"
They got together and unanimously agreed to this , When travelling , instead of taking Cash or Goods with them, would give a Merchant a note to be paid upon presenting it to the London Building.

Did not take long, and the King and Queen were keeping their goods there for safekeeping ,

and some real tough Debt Collectors were part of the System .
Message goes out , meeting needs to be called , Appears those same Characters from whom they purchased their Country Estates from were coming around and quite willing to pay Usury and borrow Money from the Organisation. Nobody needs to pay the Guards , We need to form a Board and put some Rules and Common Practices in Place and Salaries will be paid to those on the Board and assisting.

Bank Manager

Mr. Smith's Wife had died just as they emigrated to SA , he did not know People here and was Grateful that I spent some time with him. I have never forgotten this story he told me, maybe 30 years ago?

Picture of Bank Teller

So now you know where all those who were destined to Be Pirates are!

Although nobody walks the plank , or gets Keelhauled anymore , there are far more dangerous things in the Average Banks Small Print.
BTW
https://steemit.com/funny/@awgbibb/chronicles-of-alan-who-prospers

Despite this Letter to a Bank , They still took off another Payment?( I did however sort them out).

Certainly , in most of my dealings with Banks, I would say Mr. Smith was spot on!