D. G. M. Bernard
Sir Dallas Bernard, 1st Baronet | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | November 26, 1975 (aged 87) |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | Chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation |
Sir Dallas Gerald Mercer Bernard, 1st Baronet (22 March 1888 – 26 November 1975) was a distinguished British banker who held the position of Chairman at the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation from 1906 until 1908.
Early life
Born on 22 March 1888 to parents Edmund Bowen Bernard and Arabella Margaret Piercy, Bernard received his early education at Stubbington House School in Hampshire. Following his time as a midshipman in the Royal Navy, he pursued further studies at Thames Nautical Training College.
Career
By 1912, Bernard had commenced his career in the Far East as an assistant with Jardine, Matheson & Co.. During the 1920s, he took on leadership roles including chairmanship of the Sailors' Home trustees and membership on the Local General Committee of the Missions to Seamen in Hong Kong. From 1928 to 1942, he was managing director of Jardine Matheson and simultaneously served as a director for Chinese Central Railways (1928–1942) and Alliance Assurance Company (1931–1942). Throughout this era, Bernard also fulfilled duties as chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.
His public service included appointments as an Unofficial Member of Hong Kong's Executive Council (1926–1927) and Legislative Council starting in 1926, where he contributed to the Legislative Council's Standing Law Committee.
Bernard’s involvement with the Bank of England spanned from 1936 to 1949 as a director, followed by his role as deputy governor between 1949 and 1954. Additionally, he held the office of High Sheriff for the County of London from 1942 to 1943 and was later appointed Lieutenant of the City of London.
After his tenure at the Bank of England, Bernard joined Courtaulds, serving as director during two periods (1954–1956 and 1964–1965) and deputy-chairman from 1956 to 1962. Expanding his banking influence into the Middle East, he chaired the Jordan Currency Board from 1954 to 1957, overseeing the issuance of the Jordanian dinar, and led the British Bank of the Middle East as chairman from 1954 through 1965.
On 27 January 1954, Bernard was granted the title of 1st Baronet Bernard, of Snakemoor in County Southampton.
Personal life
On 16 November 1922, Bernard married Elizabeth "Betty" Addis, daughter of Sir Charles Stewart Addis. He passed away on 26 November 1975 at age 87. The couple had three children: Elizabeth Piercy Bernard (1924–1981), Sir Dallas Bernard, 2nd Baronet (born 1926), and Margaret Anne Bernard (1929–2010).