The Founding of the Bank of England, 1694 (litho)

The Founding of the Bank of England, 1694. The Bank of England, which was founded on 10 July 1694, originated with a loan of £1,200,000 to the Government, and from that time dates its connection with the Public Debt. The first governor, Sir John Houblon, was descended from a Flemish refugee who escaped to England during Alva's occupation of the Netherlands. The first stone of the present building was laid on 1 August 1732, upon a site once occupied by the house and garden of Sir John Houblon. Illustration for Hutchinson's History of the Nations (Hutchinson, c.1920). Note: Image has been digitally enhanced to facilitate repro.