Group History
As part of the 180th year celebrations, Arbuthnot Latham published a book 'Arbuthnot Latham. From Merchant Bank to Private Bank (1833-2013)' by David Lascelles.
A brief overview of some of the important milestones in the Group's history is outlined below.
1833-1883
1833 Arbuthnot & Latham formed at Great St Helen's
1858 John Alves Arbuthnot becomes Governor of the London Assurance
1861 Alfred Latham becomes Governor of the Bank of England
1875 Death of John Alves Arbuthnot
1884-1913
1884 Charles Arbuthnot appointed director of the Bank of England
1887 Arbuthnot & Latham helps to underwrite Cecil Rhodes's Gold Fields of South Africa
1891 Consolidated Estates Company formed to manage the bank's Ceylonese and Indian interests
1914-1932
1914 Arbuthnot Latham & Co is among the founding members of the Accepting Houses Committee
1921 Arbuthnot Latham & Co becomes only the second Acceptance House to convert to a limited liability company
1929 John Prideaux joins the bank
1933-1959
1933 100 year Arbuthnot Jubilee
1941 Bank head office destroyed in the Blitz
1944 John K Gilliat & Co Ltd acquired
1960-1969
1960 Flotation of Arbuthnot Latham
1965 Dow Banking Corporation formed in Zurich
1967 Arbuthnot Latham launches its first unit trust
1969 Arbuthnot Latham Holdings formed
1970-1981
1970 Arbuthnot Latham forms first merchant bank in Singapore with Standard Chartered Bank
1971 John Prideaux becomes chairman of the National Westminster
1976 Secure Homes acquired through acquisition of Chancery Trust
1981 Takeover of Arbuthnot Latham by Dow Scandia Banking Corporation
1982-1989
1985 Secure Homes sold to Henry Angest in MBO
1986 Savory Milln acquired Dow Banking Corporation sold to Royal Trust of Canada with Arbuthnot Latham acquired by Nordbanken
1988 Arbuthnot Latham acquired by New Zealand Insurance Secure Trust Group plc joins the stock market
1990-2016
1990 Arbuthnot Fund Managers business acquired by Secure Trust Group
1994 Aitken Hume Bank acquired
2003 Old Mutual Securities acquired and renamed Arbuthnot Securities
2004 Ropemaker Street acquired to become Arbuthnot head office
2005 Secure Trust Group becomes Arbuthnot Banking Group and listing moved to AIM
2008 175 year Arbuthnot Jubilee
2011 Secure Trust Bank quoted on London Stock Exchange
2012 Sale of Arbuthnot Securities to Westhouse
2012 Acquisition of Everyday Loans
2012 Freehold of Wilson Street acquired as new Arbuthnot Banking Group Headquarters
2013 Arbuthnot Latham celebrates 180 year anniversary
2013 Arbuthnot Latham establishes first international office in Dubai, UAE
2013 V12 Finance Group acquired
2013 Acquisition of Debt Managers
2014 Arbuthnot Banking Group moves to Wilson Street
2016 Disposal of Everyday Loans
2016 Arbuthnot Banking Group reduces shareholding in STB from 51.9% to 18.9% and raises £150m
There is no gold beneath the streets of London. There is no copper or zinc or oil, and much to my disappointment it turns out that we don’t even have any shale gas to frack.
All we have is talent and imagination, and a spirit of enterprise that means London is still the financial and commercial capital of Europe – if not the world – with more people involved in the banking sector here than in New York.
The story of London’s rise to global eminence is in many ways the story of Arbuthnot Latham – a bank founded in 1833, and which financed everything from coffee plantations in Ceylon to gold mining in South Africa to banana growers in Jamaica.
I am delighted to say that 180 years later the bank is not only alive but flourishing – proof of the resilience of financial services in London. We will always need bankers with drive and imagination – not just to finance banana growing, but the infrastructure we need, the medical and scientific breakthroughs that will improve the fate of our species.
Congratulations to Henry Angest, who joins an illustrious line of Londoners who have come from abroad to build up financial institutions, and I have
no hesitation in commending this excellent book.
Boris Johnson
Mayor of London (2008-2016)
Foreword from 'Arbuthnot Latham. From Merchant Bank to Private Bank
(1833-2013)' by David Lascelles.