Margaret’s Tea Rooms

In 1795 the Day family of Swaffham opened a bank in the town, trading under the name of the Norwich and Swaffham Bank and situated on the site of what is now the Old School on the west side of the Market Place.

Meanwhile, the Gurney family of Norwich opened Gurney’s Bank in 1807. Whether it immediately located to 69 Market Place is not known but there was a bank there in 1839.

The Norwich and Swaffham Bank failed in 1826 but eventually merged with Gurney’s which in turn merged with other banks in 1896 to form Barclay & Co. Ltd. This closed in 2018 “due to a reduction in counter transactions over recent years.”

In 2021 Margaret’s Tearooms took over the premises as a café and play area.

William Castell Southwell (1821-1893) had moved from his home town of Wisbech, through King’s Lynn to Swaffham by 1841. In that year he lodged with Robert Skipper, also a bank clerk.

In 1851 he was still a bank clerk but living somewhere on the Market Place, married and with children. He was away for the census in 1861 but by 1871 he was bank manager and remained so until he retired in 1886. He was an active supporter of both the Church of England and the Baptist church and a promoter of the Swaffham Waterworks Company.

He was followed by John William Page who had also risen from the ranks of clerk and remained as manager for several years. He was succeeded briefly by Walter J Hayden until 1892 and replaced by John Owen Dennis in 1893.

In 1928 George Page took his place and remained as manager for 20 years.