Lancelot 'Capability' Brown

Brown's bank account appears in the Drummonds Bank ledgers from 1753 until his death in 1783. His executors' account then appears from 1783 to 1789. For decades his account been a key source for the study of landscape and garden history. Landscape historian David Brown, who has become very familiar with the account in recent years, has contributed a brief note on his own view (PDF 114 KB) of its importance and value to garden historians.

The accounts appear on one or more open spreads (‘folios’) in each of the annual sets of ledgers of Drummonds Bank 1753-1789, and PDF copies of the accounts as they appear on each folio can be accessed through the relevant account folio list:

• Lancelot Brown bank account folio lists 1753-83 (PDF 141 KB)
• Executors of Lancelot Brown bank account folio lists 1783-89 (PDF 99 KB)

In order to view digital copies of the accounts themselves, you must submit a completed application form (PDF 65 KB), agreeing to comply with our standard terms and conditions. You may return the form by email to archives@natwest.com or by post to NatWest Group Archives, 6 South Gyle Crescent Lane, Edinburgh, EH12 9EG. Password-controlled access will then be granted to the online digital copies.

The information contained in the Drummonds Bank customer account ledgers is not always easy to understand, and a detailed guide to using these accounts for historical research is available in our source overview (PDF 179 KB).