Memoirs of a banking-house

MEMOIRS OF A BANKING-HOUSE. 13
Strand,* by whom he was immediately received into partnership,
under the firm of Campbell and Coutts, and he in consequence
withdrew from the partnerships with his brothers in London and
Edinburgh.
Some short time afterwards, Mr "William Dalrymple, merchant
in Cadiz — brother of Sir Hew Dalrymple of North Berwick — was
assumed as an acting partner in the house at London, the firm of
which was then changed to Coutts Brothers and Dalrymple. In a
very short time, however, Messrs Coutts disliking Mr Dalrymple's
too great love of speculation, the partnership between them was
dissolved by mutual consent,f and the firm was again changed to
Coutts Brothers & Co., being the same with that of the Edinburgh
house.
About the year 1760, Mr George Campbell, the banker, dying,
Mr James Coutts assumed his youngest brother, Thomas, as a
partner in that banking-house, the firm of which then became
James and Thomas Coutts. In consequence, Thomas also with-
drew from the two houses of Edinburgh and London, the last of
which was thereafter managed by Mr Patrick Coutts, with the
assistance of Mr Thomas Walker, their principal and confidential
clerk, who had been originally bred in the counting-house at
Edinburgh. Some difference having arisen between Mr Walker
and them, he quitted their service ; and a procuration was then
given to Mr George Keith, who had been bred with Mr A.
Gregory of Dunkirk, and had been recommended to Messrs Coutts
as a clerk in their London establishment. Mr John Coutts and
Mr Stephen continued to conduct the business of the house at
Edinburgh.
While those changes were so rapidly succeeding each other, my
apprenticeship of five years was completed on the 14th May 1759.
Mr Francis Farquharson, my much esteemed friend, having
* At that period there were only two banking-houses on the west side
of Temple Bar. One was the well-known establishment of Mr Andrew
Drummond, a son of Lord Strathallan,i who, after having been engaged in the
affair of 1715 on the side of the Stuart family, established himself as a banker
in London, where he was patronised by many of the Tory families of the
English aristocracy. George Campbell, the proprietor of the other establish-
ment, was originally a goldsmith in London — as most of the bankers had been
originally — and was patronised by the Duke of Argyle and the Whig interest.
f Mr Dalrymple, after his separation from Messrs Coutts, commenced
business in London by himself, chiefly as an underwriter, but failed, in a
few months.
1 [Mr Andrew Drummond, the banker, was only the son of Sir John Drummond
of Machany ; but his elder brother, William, succeeded as fourth Viscount Strathallan,
and was killed fighting on the Prince's side at Culloden.}