Ledgers of Edward Backwell

The ledgers of the goldsmith-banker Edward Backwell are uniquely significant in documenting the finances of Restoration England and the birth of modern banking. They provide the earliest detailed evidence of the scale and sophistication of England’s emerging banking system, and the role of the City of London as the leading centre for international trade and finance. Their pages also offer insights into the lives of thousands of individual clients, many of whom have their own historical significance.

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