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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

Our archive holdings

A summary list of our archival records of NatWest Group plc can be found on the Archives Hub website. 

Summary of archive holdings elsewhere