Staff-fidelity

Fidelity Guarantees

It was the Bank's policy to join each member of staff into a Fidelity Guarantee Insurance Policy, with the Bank paying the required premium. This type of policy was generally designed to indemnify the policyholder for the loss of money or property sustained as a direct result of acts of fraud, theft or dishonesty by an employee in the course of employment. It is not known as to what the extent of the Bank's Fidelity Guarantee was, but it would almost certainly have included cover for losses caused by staff committing fraud in relation to the operation of accounts, and the direct theft of cash.

The Minutes of the Birmingham Corporation Savings Bank indicate that it was the policy of Birmingham Corporation to take out this type of policy for all Council staff. A meeting of the Savings Bank Consultative Sub-Committee held on December 19th 1918 considered a Council proposition to withdraw this type of cover for staff considered to be low risk. However, the Bank's Committee decided to retain the cover for all staff.

It is likely, therefore, that the BMB commenced operations with Fidelity Guarantees for its staff. It was certainly in operation in 1923 as evidenced by the minutes of a Finance Sub-Committee meeting held on October 8th that year. Minute 167 of the meeting stated that The following list of Fidelity Guarantees was submitted and approved. That list gave the names of all 105 of the Bank's staff (including 8 cleaners) with the amount of the Bond taken out for each member of staff (as reproduced below). The total value of the Bonds was £82,550.

The male members of staff below General Manager and Assistant General Manager are listed with their Salary Grades (A to H), but the grades of the female staff were omitted from the list.

At the Finance Sub-Committee's meeting held on December 1st 1924, the list was reviewed and updated. The number of staff was now 115, and the total value of the Bonds £89,000. A list of the staff at December 1st 1924 are detailed separately.

Listed amongst the branch managers below is Harry Howard Crump who was in charge at Duddeston branch. However, his name is missing from the list of staff at December 1924 as he was dismissed on October 6th 1924 following defalcations made at Duddeston. His fraud was referred to the Guarantee Society as detailed in The Crump Affair.


Senior Officers		£
Hilton, J P	General Manager	10,000
Ellison, F	Assistant General Manager	5,000
Parsonage, F W	Chief Clerk (Grade A)	5,000
Carver, H	Chief Clerk (Grade A)	2,000
Taylor, A S	Superintendent of Branches (Grade B)	2,000
Wright, H G	Superintendent of Branches (Grade B)	2,000


Branch Managers (Grade C)
Smith, A J		2,000
Heath, W F		2,000
Wynn, W I		2,000
Cheatle, E		2,000
Crump, H H		2,000
Ladbrooke, T J		2,000
Jackson, W E		2,000
Neighbour, E C		2,000
Hodgkins, A M		2,000
Bennett, S E		2,000
Woodcock, D W S		2,000
DeVille, F H		2,000
Davis, H B		2,000
Rees, H R B		2,000
Lambeth, A F		2,000
Viney, E H		2,000
Danks, C		2,000
Chapman, J E		2,000


Relief Branch Managers (Grade D)
Guest, A T		2,000
Martin, H E		2,000


Cashiers (Grade E)
Baker, J		1,000
Harling, G A		1,000


General Clerks (Grade F)
Kesterton, J		100
Whitehouse, F H		500
Fitzpatrick, F		500
Watson, H V		100


Clerk on Probation (Grade G)
Brown, J C W		100


Junior Clerks (Grade H)
Raftery, J W		500
Ling, A N		500
Smallwood, L E		100
Brotherton, S G		100
Lewis, G F		100
Robottom, W K		100
Guy, S A		100
Wright, L A		500
Tansley, B		100
Underhill, W J		100
Massey, C H		100
Jones, S F		100
Harper, C E		100
Abbiss, L C		100
Jennings, E R		100
Dawes, S E		100
Woollons, W J		100


(Miss) D E Blackwell	Chief Cashier	2,000


Female Clerks
Crawford, M (Miss)		100
Plant, W A (Miss)		100
Bullock, E (Miss)		100
Facey, A (Mrs)		100
Buckley, B M (Mrs)		100
Turner, E A (Miss)		100
Morrison, R M (Miss)		100
Brighton, E (Miss)		100
Percy, E A (Miss)		100
Horton,F M (Miss)		100
Manning, B (Miss)		100
Burton, A E (Miss)		100
Aspinall, M (Miss)		100
Butler, E J M (Miss)		100
Lewis, L F (Miss)		100
Parkin, I E (Miss)		100
Pogson, W K (Miss)		100
Hiett, B L (Miss)		100
Pullen, D E (Miss)		100
Brown, R M (Miss)		100
Hadley,E (Miss)		500
Abel, M I (Miss)		100
Wilkins, H K D (Miss)		100
Gregory, D (Miss)		100


King, F A	Bournville Works Branch Official	200
Snowdon, W R	Bournville Works Branch Official	100
Bracey, F	Bournville Works Branch Official	100
Manners, J	Bournville Works Branch Official	100
Brueton, E M	Bournville Works Branch Official	100
Clayton, D	Part Time Officer (Stechford)	250
Farris, F H	Part Time Officer (Ward End)	500
Baxter, A	Part Time Officer (Farcroft)	500
Noon, D R	Part Time Officer (Harborne)	500
Smith, G O	Part Time Officer (Northfield)	500
Wells, H	Part Time Officer (Acocks Green)	500
Beckett, W	Part Time Officer (Bartley Green)	250
Hart, J H	Part Time Officer (Quinton)	250
Atkinson, H	Part Time Officer (Sparkbrook)	100
Ryland, E C	Part Time Officer (Small Heath)	100
Tafft, R H	Part Time Officer (Aston)	100
Field, C (Miss)	Part Time Officer (Bartley Green)	100
Harrison, A M (Miss)	Part Time Officer (Acocks Green)	100
Hatton, K J (Miss)	Part Time Officer (Northfield)	100
Smith, H A	Part Time Officer (Reserve)	100
Cleeton, D (Miss)	Part Time Officer (Harborne)	100
Turton, S H	Part Time Officer (Quinton)	100
Dent, C M (Miss)	Cleaner (Acocks Green)	100
Devey, H (Mrs)	Cleaner (Sparkbrook)	100
Hill, E (Miss)	Cleaner (Saltley & Ward End)	100
Perks, M (Mrs)	Cleaner (Ladywood & Bearwood)	100
Howell, G W (Miss)	Cleaner (Small Heath)	100
Pope, A (Miss)	Cleaner (Lozells & Selly Oak)	100
Clarke, E (Mrs)	Cleaner (Rotton Park)	100
Farmer, W (Miss)	Cleaner (Aston Cross)	100

Staff