NB of Wilmington and Brandywine, Wilmington, DE (Charter 1190)
NB of Wilmington and Brandywine, Wilmington, DE (Chartered 1865 - Liquidated 1912)
Town History
Wilmington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley metropolitan area. Wilmington was named by Proprietor Thomas Penn after his friend Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, who was prime minister during the reign of George II of Great Britain. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city's population was 70,898.
The greatest growth in the city occurred during the Civil War. Delaware, though officially remaining a member of the Union, was a border state and divided in its support of both the Confederate and the Union causes. The war created enormous demand for goods and materials supplied by Wilmington including ships, railroad cars, gunpowder, shoes, and other war-related goods. By 1868, Wilmington was producing more iron ships than the rest of the country combined and it rated first in the production of gunpowder and second in carriages and leather. Due to the prosperity Wilmington enjoyed during the war, city merchants and manufacturers expanded Wilmington's residential boundaries westward in the form of large homes along tree-lined streets. This movement was spurred by the first horsecar line, which was initiated in 1864 along Delaware Avenue.
Both World Wars stimulated the city's industries. Industries vital to the war effort included shipyards, steel foundries, machinery, and chemical producers which operated around the clock. Other industries produced such goods as automobiles, leather products, and clothing.
Wilmington had five National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all five of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized May 5, 1865
- Chartered May 29, 1865
- Succeeded Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine
- Liquidated November 16, 1912
- Absorbed by Wilmington Trust Company
In December 1928, a window display arranged by the Wilmington Trust Company in The Tenth Street corridor, du Pont Building, showed many relics of banking in its earliest days in Wilmington. The original Stock Transfer Book of the Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine, which institution was absorbed in 1912 by the Wilmington Trust Company, showed entries dated April 1810, running through November 1816. It covered certificates Nos. 1 to 705 inclusive. Likewise, the first Customers' Ledger, showing individual accounts in 1812, was featured. There was also on display the agreement of sale of the property known as 201 Market St. This agreement was dated March 25, 1812. Accompanying this sales agreement was the deed dated March 1813, covering a plot 23 feet on Market Street running through to Shipley Street. Until this land was purchased, the bank occupied a rented store two doors above the corner.
In 1835, George W. Sparks was elected cashier of the Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine.
In September 1858, George Bush, president, and W.S. Hagany, cashier of the Wilmington and Brandywine Bank were given as references for the Stock, Loan, Bill and Exchange Brokers of John McLear & Son. Hagany succeeded Geo. W. Sparks and would resign in 1862 to accept a more lucrative position in the establishment of Samuel White of Philadelphia, manufacturer of dental implements. To fill the vacancy, the directors in 1862 elected Evan Rice, Esq., a young gentleman who, for several years held the position of first teller in the bank.
In April 1863, the following gentlemen were elected directors of the Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine: George Bush, John A. Duncan, Jacob Pusey, Washington Jones, Leonard E. Wales, Edward Betts, Wm. S. Craige, Edward Darlington, and George W. Sparks.
On April 4, 1864, the following named gentlemen were elected directors for the ensuing year: John A. Duncan, Jacob Pusey, Washington Jones, Leonard E. Wales, Edward Betts, George W. Sparks, H.F. Dure, Edward B. McClees, and Wm. Richards.
On May 29, 1865, Freeman Clarke, Comptroller of the Currency, authorized The National Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine, in the city of Wilmington, county of New Castle, and state of Delaware, to commence the business of banking.
On Tuesday, January 8, 1867, the following named gentlemen were elected directors: John A. Duncan, Jacob Pusey, James Morrow, George W. Sparks, Washington Jones, William Richards, Thomas W. Bowers, Jesse Lane, and Joseph T. Baily.
On Tuesday, January 13, 1880, the following were elected directors: Washington Jones, Holstein Harvey, Wm. G. Pennypacker, Edward Pusey, John P. Wales, George S. Capelle, Stephen S. Southard, Allen Gawthrop, James Morrow. Messrs. Harvey, Pennypacker and Gawthrop were new directors.
On Tuesday, January 10, 1900, the following were elected directors: George S. Capelle, William T. Porter, Alfred D. Warner, C. Wesley Weldin, J. Newlin Gawthrop, Thomas Jackson, Charles E. Jones, James C. Morrow, and William T. Lynam.
On Tuesday, January 9, 1912, the following were elected directors: George S. Capelle, C. Wesley Weldin, Alfred D. Warner, William T. Lynam, Frank H. Thomas, Alfred D. Poole, Edmund Mitchell, Caleb M. Sheward, Henry M. Taylor, Samuel K. Smith, Charles S. Gawthrop, James T. Eliason, and Martin Lane.
On July 11, 1912, an announcement was made that more than two-thirds of the stockholders of the National Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine and of the First National Bank accepted the offer of the Wilmington Trust Company to buy their stock outright or exchange it for cash and Trust Company stock. The consolidation of the two national banks with the Wilmington Trust Company had become effective. Stockholders of the First National Bank and the National Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine who had not accepted the Wilmington Trust Company's offer had until Monday next to do so, as the proposition by the Trust Company expired that day. Those who did not accept the offer of the Trust Company would receive an amount for their stock that the liquidation of each of the national banks under the plan provided for by the National Banking Law, yielded them. The consolidated bank would be known as The Wilmington Trust Company, but the First National Bank and the National Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine would continue to do business at their current banking institutions and with the same personnel. Sometime in the future, a big banking house was planned for somewhere downtown to accommodate the additional patrons of the two banks.
On July 25, 1912, the stockholders of the Wilmington Trust Company, the First National Bank and the Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine elected George S. Capelle, of the National Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine as chairman of the board of directors, and elected James P. Winchester, of First National Bank, as president to succeed General T. Coleman duPont, who resigned. Caleb M. Sheward, of Wilmington and Brandywine, was elected a vice president, and Henry Bush of the First National, was chosen secretary to succeed Harlan G. Scott, resigned. The following were elected directors in addition to the directors existing: George S. Capelle, James P. Winchester, Caleb M. Sheward, Henry Bush, Frank H. Thomas, E.T. Betts, S.N. Trump, W. Harold Smith, Rodney Thayor, Tilghman Johnston, J.C. McComb, William F. Sellers, H.H. Ward, H.T. Wallace, Robert H. Richards, Edmund Mitchell, A.D. Poole, S.K. Smith, H.M. Taylor, A.D. Warner, C.W. Weldin, T.W. Miller, J.T. Eliason, Martin Lane, and W.T. Lynam. The members of the old Board who continued as directors in addition to those elected were: T.C. duPont, Henry P. Soott, Pierre S. duPont, William S. Hilles, Harlan G. Scott, Samuel Bancroft, Jr., Charles C. Kurtz, John Biggs, S.D. Townsend, Andrew C. Gray, Thomas F. Bayard. John J. Raskob, Charles S. Gawthrop, William Winder Laird, Joseph Bancroft, H.M. Barksdale, T. Allen Hilles and Wilmer Palmer. At the meeting announcement was made of an increase in the capital stock to $1,000,000. The increase in capital stock meant Wilmington would have a bank with capitalization sufficient to handle the biggest financial transactions. The First National was renamed the Wilmington Trust Co., Fifth Street office and the Wilmington and Brandywine became the Wilmington Trust Co., Second Street office.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The National Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine, Wilmington, DE
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $1,910,550 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1865 and 1912. This consisted of a total of 234,110 notes (234,110 large size and No small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments Original Series 3x1-2 1 - 5000 Original Series 4x5 1 - 7150 Original Series 3x10-20 1 - 2400 Original Series 50-100 1 - 485 Series 1875 4x5 1 - 7125 Series 1875 3x10-20 1 - 2429 Series 1875 50-100 1 - 434 1882 Brown Back 4x5 1 - 7855 1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 3744 1882 Brown Back 50-100 1 - 983 1902 Red Seal 4x5 1 - 6000 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 2600 1902 Red Seal 50-100 1 - 300 1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 7710 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 5377 1902 Date Back 50-100 1 - 73
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1865 - 1912):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
- Evan Rice, 1865-1878
- George W. Sparks, 1879-1881
- Otho Nowland, 1882-1888
- Caleb Mercer Sheward, 1889-1912
Other Known Bank Note Signers
- No other known bank note signers for this bank
Bank Note History Links
- NB of Wilmington and Brandywine, Wilmington, DE History (NB Lookup)
- Delaware Bank Note History (BNH Wiki)
Sources
- Wilmington, DE, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmington,_Delaware
- Don C. Kelly, National Bank Notes, A Guide with Prices. 6th Edition (Oxford, OH: The Paper Money Institute, 2008).
- Dean Oakes and John Hickman, Standard Catalog of National Bank Notes. 2nd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1990).
- Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://spmc.org/bank-note-history-project
- Smyrna Times, Smyrna, DE, Thu., Sep. 2, 1858.
- Delaware State Journal, Wilmington, DE, Tue., Dec. 30, 1862.
- Delaware State Journal, Wilmington, DE, Tue., Apr. 7, 1863.
- Delaware State Journal, Wilmington, DE, Tue., Apr. 12, 1864.
- Delaware State Journal, Wilmington, DE, Thu., June 1, 1865.
- Delaware State Journal, Wilmington, DE, Fri., Jan. 11, 1867.
- Daily Republican, Wilmington, DE, Wed., Jan. 14, 1880.
- Delaware Gazette and State Journal, Wilmington, DE, Thu., Mar. 4, 1886.
- Delaware Gazette and State Journal, Wilmington, DE, Thu., Jan. 11, 1900.
- The Evening Journal, Wilmington, DE, Tue., Jan. 9, 1912.
- The Evening Journal, Wilmington, DE, Thu., July 11, 1912.
- The Morning News, Wilmington, DE, Fri., July 26, 1912.
- The News Journal, Wilmington, DE, Sat., Nov. 16, 1912.
- The News Journal, Wilmington, DE, Wed., Dec. 12, 1928.