Jonathan Backhouse

Sir Jonathan Backhouse, 1st Baronet
Born	Darlington, County Durham, England
Died	July 27, 1918(1918-07-27) (aged 68)
Occupation(s)	Banker, Justice of the Peace, Politician
Known for	Director of Backhouse's Bank and Barclays Bank; 1st Baronet

Sir Jonathan Edmund Backhouse, 1st Baronet (15 November 1849 – 27 July 1918) was a prominent British banker and held a directorial position at the family-run Backhouse's Bank based in Darlington, County Durham. This institution was a major regional bank that, in 1896, merged into what became the contemporary Barclays Bank, where he also took on a directorship role. He received the title of baronet in 1901.

In addition to his banking career, Backhouse acted as a Justice of the Peace for both Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire. He was actively engaged in politics as a member of the Liberal Unionist party. Around 1881, his residence was The Rookery in Middleton Tyas, North Yorkshire.

He was born to Edmund Backhouse, who served as Member of Parliament for Darlington, and Juliet Fox. In 1871, he wed Florence Salusbury-Trelawny, daughter of Sir John Salusbury-Trelawny, 9th Baronet. Lady Backhouse participated in the Darlington Board of Guardians and was a steadfast supporter of the Liberal Unionist movement until her passing in 1902. Together, they had six children, with several achieving notable prominence: their fourth son, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Backhouse, held the position of First Sea Lord from 1938 to 1939; their second son Admiral Oliver Backhouse also reached flag officer status; and their daughter Lady Findlay DBE distinguished herself as an activist. Their eldest son Edmund later became notorious due to posthumous revelations as a serial forger and con artist.

Jonathan Backhouse: the bank

Backhouse & Co originated in Darlington in 1774 when James Backhouse and his eldest son Jonathan combined linen and worsted manufacturing with banking activities. Following James’s death in 1798, the bank was renamed after Jonathan Backhouse, who partnered with his younger brother James. It evolved into the foremost private bank within the region, expanding its operations by opening branches in Durham (1815) and Sunderland (1816) after several local banks failed. Throughout the 1820s, additional branches were established across the Teesside region.

By its hundredth anniversary in 1874, the bank managed ten branches including those located in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, and Northallerton. After Jonathan’s death in 1826, his five sons maintained family control until merger discussions began during the early 1890s among approximately twenty provincial banks seeking to create a national banking entity. As these negotiations progressed gradually, Backhouse's Bank entered into an initial alliance with Barclay & Co of London and Gurney & Co of Norwich. Other banks were subsequently invited to join this coalition, leading to the 1896 consolidation that formed Barclays Bank.

Sources

• Who was who
• The Times, 29 July 1918, p. 9; Issue 41854; col F Obituary "Sir J. E. Backhouse".