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1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
335
[178]
For
further
information
of
the
staff
of
officers,
and
the
expenses
of
the
Stamp-Office,
see
Appendix
(G).
[179]
Hand
Catalogue
of
Postage-Stamps,
Introduction,
p.
5.
CHAPTER
V.
POST-OFFICE
SAVINGS'
BANKS.
The
idea
of
Savings'
Banks
for
the
industrial
classes
was
first
started
at
the
commencement
of
the
present
century.
They
are
said
to
owe
their
origin
to
the
Rev.
Joseph
Smith,
of
Wendover,
who
in
1799,
circulated
proposals
among
his
poorer
parishioners
to
receive
any
of
their
spare
sums
during
the
summer,
and
return
the
amounts
at
the
Christmas
following.
To
the
original
sum,
Mr.
Smith
proposed
to
add
one-third
of
the
whole
amount,
as
a
reward
for
the
forethought
of
the
depositor.
This
rate
of
interest,
ruinous
to
the
projector,
proves
that
the
transactions
must
have
been
of
small
extent,
and
charity,
a
large
element
in
the
work.
The
first
savings'
bank
really
answering
to
the
name
was
established
at
Tottenham,
Middlesex,
in
1804,
by
some
benevolent
people
in
the
place,
and
called
the
Charitable
Bank.
Five
per
cent.
interest
was
allowed
to
depositors,
though
for
many
years
this
rate
was
a
great
drain
on
the
benevolence
of
the
founders.
In
1817,
these
banks
had
increased
in
England
and
Wales
to
the
number
of
seventy-four.
During
that
year
Acts
of
Parliament
were
passed
offering
every
encouragement
to
such
institutions,
and
making
arrangements
to
take
all
moneys
deposited,
and
place
them
in
the
public
funds.
From
1804
to
1861,
the
savings'
banks
of
the
United
Kingdom
increased
to
638.
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