Gordon & Co (private Belfast bank)
FOUNDED 1808 by
David GORDON b1 June 1759 d 2 Mar 1837 (Founding Senior partner who was married to Mary CRAWFORD daughter of James CRAWFORD)
Another partner was John HOLMES HOUSTON, whose nephew Charles BLAKESTON HOUSTON joined the Belfast Banking Company (see below)
Hugh CRAWFORD b c1760 d 15th Nov 1819) of Orangefield (Founding partner)
Hugh CRAWFORD including 1861 (?)grandson of above b 9th June 1841 d 7th Mar 1875
The Belfast Banking Company had no offices in Dublin prior to 1892; it never had a branch in Sackville Street, now known as O'Connell Street.
Records relating the 19th century are scanty, but a few are held by the Northern Bank in Belfast.
Samuel BATT of Ballymacarrett - Director from 1827 died 3rd July 1861
The following extract from 'The History of the Belfast Banking Company':
....there was no difficulty in finding a new director, a man who had no previous connection with banking. William Gordon CRAWFORD, who was a near relation to Arthur SHARMAN-CRAWFORD, had for several years, been associated with the stockbroking firm of Percy Balfour & Co of Old Broad Street, London, and had only just recently returned to Ireland. He appears to have been somewhat of an unknown quantity to the Belfast Bank's management, as discrete enquiries were made to ensure that 'Mr Crawford, when in London, bore the reputation of being a person of - in the strictest and highest sense - impeachable integrity and honour, of first class ability and considerable mental culture, of fair commerce and business experience; and generally (that) the character he bore was such that we could with safety to our institution and advantage to ourselves receive him into our Board to fill the position of Junior Director of this Bank' The replies must have confirmed that Mr Crawford possessed the formidable catalogue of virtues which were called for, since on 10th September 1894, the Board of Superintendence agreed to recommend his appointment to the shareholders and he was duly elected a director at the annual general meeting held in the following month
Mr E.H. CLARKE director from 1850-1880
Alexander JOHNS director from 1 September 1860
Charles BLAKESTON HOUSTON joined the Bank as a prospective Director in 1860, but resigned from ill-health within the year. (Recommended by his Uncle at Gordon & Co above)
A.T. MACAULEY -entered the Bank as a junior clerk in 1838. Made director circa 1889.
Arthur Johnston SHARMAN-CRAWFORD (related to Hugh Crawford of Gordon & Co above. (Another recommendation from Gordon & Co?) was a director from 8th July 1861-1888
John WALES former (and last) General Manager of the Bank, was elected to the board 15th February 1884
William Gordon CRAWFORD junior director from October 1894. (See extract below). William Gordon married Florence Montgomery whose family were involved with the Northern Bank.
Opened an office in Henry Street, Dublin in 1888
William VALENTINE circa 1880s
The MONGOMERYs are believed to have maintained their interest in the Northern Bank after 1814.
Originally Montgomery's Bank founded in 1809, became Northern Bank in 1814. Moved to Sackville Street 1904
William SHARMAN-CRAWFORD was a director 1862-1869 (this would have been A.J. SHARMAN-CRAWFORD's brother - aged 51, who married Emily MACAULEY daughter of Robert MACAULEY of Glenoak - could there have been a family connection with A.T. MACAULEY in the Belfast Banking Company above? In any case, Emily was descended from Hugh CRAWFORD of Orangefield, who may have also been an ancester of the Hugh CRAWFORD of the Gordon & Co Bank above)