William Paterson (banker)
Sir William Paterson was a Scottish trader and banker. He was the founder of the Bank of England and was one of the main proponents of the catastrophic Darien scheme. Later he became an advocate of union with England.
William Paterson, from a wash drawing in the British Museum
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker and debt manager, and still one of the bankers for the Government of the United Kingdom, it is the world's eighth-oldest bank.
The Bank of England building
Handwritten banknote dated 1697, signed 'for the Governor and Company of the Bank of England' by 2nd Cashier Robert Hedges.
Charles Montagu played a key role in devising the legislation for establishing the Bank and steering it through the House of Commons.
Sealing of the Bank of England Charter (1694), by Lady Jane Lindsay, 1905