REIGATE BANK

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Reigate Bank was started in 1808 by the partnership of Israel Piper, Thomas Gale, Joseph Nash & Thomas Neale.  The Reigate head office is listed as being located at Market Place.


Cheque issued by Reigate Bank

When, in 1825, the Darking Bank  of Piper and Dewdney failed there was a ‘run’ on the bank so severe that seven-eighths of its notes were paid in.  Following the collapse of Piper & Dewdney's bank, Piper, Gale, Nash & Neale took over the failed business.  The Dorking branch was situated on the opposite side of the High Street to Darking Bank, in the shop of Mr John Robert Overton, a linen draper and undertaker.

Thomas Gale left the business in 1827 after two years of heavy losses. 


£5 note issued by Reigate & Darking Bank


£10 note issued by Reigate & Darking Bank


By 1827, Nash & Neale also had a branch in Croydon High Street and were trading as Reigate, Croydon and Darking Bank, although the Croydon branch seems to have closed by 1839.  Israel Piper left the bank in 1832.

On the 24th June 1850, the bank stopped payment; on 5th July the bank went into receivership, being the only bank in England to fail that year.


This is a genuine banknote, but was unissued; it was presumably found by someone who then entered the number date and signature - unfortunately they dated it 19 years after the bank had failed.