The Manchester and Liverpool District Banking Company Joseph Macardy was an Irishman who became the senior partner of a firm of
Manchester stockbrokers and in 1828 he became involved in the establishment of a new joint stock bank in the city. However, when his proposal to open branches in all the neighbouring towns was rejected, he immediately issued a prospectus for a new bank, specifically to have branches, and to be called either the District Banking Company or the Union Banking Company. In the event, the bank duly opened in 1829 under the name Manchester and Liverpool District Banking; its success was such that by 1877 Grindon described it as "first and foremost among provincial joint-stock banks". The bank actually opened first in
Stockport in 1829 but this was through the acquisition of the local bank,
Christy Lloyd. Christy and Company were "celebrated" London hatters and it was the founder’s son, William Miller-Christy, who supported a local hatter, John Worsley, to set up a bank in
Stockport. Christy Lloyd opened in 1824 "and the hatters of Stockport thereafter received such financial advantage over hatters in other areas, that in due time Stockport became world famous for that product". In 1830, a year after acquiring Christy, the bank opened its Manchester office. As promised, branches were opened in a number of local towns, not forgetting the important branch in
Liverpool, thereby justifying the bank’s lengthy title; by 1833 there were 17 branches. Acquisitions reinforced the branch openings, the first being in 1844 – the
Nantwich and Cheshire Bank, founded five years earlier. This was followed in 1863 by the more substantial purchase of
Lloyd Entwistle of Manchester. Lloyd Entwistle had descended from the firm of John Jones "bankers and tea dealers", already established in the 1770s. In 1848, Jones Lloyd as it then was, separated its London and Manchester businesses. New partners were brought into the Manchester office (the Entwistle being Lloyds’ son-in-law). The
Manchester and County Bank commenced business in 1862 and three branches were opened shortly after. In 1866 the bank acquired the Saddleworth Banking Company and in 1871 the Bank of Stockport. ==Notable employees==