100 years ago, on 10th October 1921, Barclays opened in Jersey and has supported the Island’s community and economy ever since.
The Fort Regent building will be illuminated blue in celebration on the evenings of 7 and 8 October. Last year, Barclays’ Jersey headquarters moved to 5 Esplanade, providing a quality environment for colleagues and clients and supporting the growth of its investment management business.
Barclays is celebrating the 100-year anniversary of opening in Jersey, which marks a century of providing banking services to the local people and economy. Throughout the decades, Barclays has supported the Island’s economy, working closely with established businesses, and those emerging, most recently through Barclays Eagle Lab, which helps entrepreneurs and smaller businesses to create, develop and grow.
For the past century, Barclays has adapted to support the business community as the Island’s economy has evolved; from agriculture as Jersey’s main industry in the 1920s, to the thriving international finance centre the Island is now. Similarly, as the Island’s population increased, so did the need for more housing, retail spaces and offices, and Barclays played an active role in the provision of funding to help individuals into home ownership and in improving the quality of the infrastructure within the community.
Barclays will be celebrating its centenary in Jersey with a customer event in-branch at 13 Library Place on Friday 8th October, where visitors will be able to view a selection of memorabilia from Barclays in Jersey over the years, as well as enjoy complimentary refreshments from Locke’s coffee. In addition, the Fort Regent building will be illuminated blue in celebration of the Centenary on the evenings of 7th and 8th October.
Paul Savery, Country Head of Barclays in Jersey, said: “Barclays is proud to be integrated in each and every aspect of Jersey’s economy and society. For the past 100 years Barclays has sought to act as a steward for the local community, helping Islanders to prosper and enjoy a better standard of living. From supporting the agricultural industry, to working with hospitality clients driving the boom in tourism after the war, right through to today, where financial services bring many benefits to Jersey.
“As we look ahead, Barclays remains focused on working with clients and stakeholders to continually adapt to help secure the future prosperity of our Island.”
Where it all began, a brief history of Barclays in Jersey:
- 1921: Barclays opened a branch at 13 Library Place on 10th October
- 1928: Following the purchase of 11 and 13 Library Place in 1924 and 1926 respectively, a new building was constructed, opening in 1928
- 1939: The threat of war and occupation was imminent. The Treasury had instructed the banks to operate as normally as possible if the Islands were occupied, which Barclays did. Funds in Channel Islands branches of British banks were retained in situ and interest was paid at 0.5%. At the end of the war accounts were restored to customers.
- 1941: From December the branches themselves were nominally controlled by the Administrator of the Enemy banks, a Herr Caesar from the German Reichsbank. It appears that Barclays was designated the ‘accredited’ bank by the German authorities under the occupation.
- 1955: The branch continued to grow from a staff of three in 1921 to a workforce of 22 in 1955.
- 1969: Barclays brought another branch in St Helier into the Barclays Group, through the take-over of Martins which had a branch in Halkett Place.
- 1985: The workforce grew to 50 staff at Halkett Place and 160 at Library Place.
- 1992: In June, Halkett Place, which had concentrated on the personal sector, merged with Library Place.
- 2015: Eagle Labs was set up at 13 Library Place to create an incubator community for start-ups and entrepreneurs.
- 2020: Barclays Jersey headquarters moved to 5 Esplanade to invest in a quality environment for colleagues and clients and support the growth of its investment management business.
- 2021: Barclays celebrates its 100-year anniversary of opening in Jersey, and providing banking services to the local people and economy.
