Careers - About Us
 

Our History

Barclays' origins can be traced back to a modest business founded more than 300 years ago in the heart of London 's financial district. In fact, our famous spread eagle logo has been in use since that original partnership in 1690. However, the Barclays name didn't become associated with the business until 1736 when James Barclay joined the partnership.

Private banking businesses like this one were commonplace in the 18th and 19 th Centuries, keeping their clients' gold deposits secure and lending to credit-worthy merchants. Recognising the need for change and consolidation, the Barclays partnership was one of 20 banks that joined together to form a new venture in 1896.

The new bank had 182 branches, mainly in the East and South East, and deposits of £26 million - a substantial sum of money in those days. It expanded its branch network rapidly by taking over other banks and amalgamating in 1918 with the London, Provincial and South Western Bank to become one of the UK's 'big five' banks. By now the bank had 1,837 outlets.

The development of today's global business didn't begin in earnest until 1925, with the merger of three banks - the Colonial Bank, the Anglo Egyptian Bank and the National Bank of South Africa to form Barclays international operations.

Barclays global expansion gained added momentum in 1986 with the creation of an investment banking operation. This has developed into Barclays Capital, a major division of the bank that now manages larger corporate and institutional business.

Today's Barclays is continuing to evolve, strike up new partnerships and develop new services. We remain inspired by the same pioneering spirit that saw us introduce the first UK all-purpose credit card, the world's first 'hole in the wall' cash machine and the first UK debit card.

Looking ahead, our goal is to keep leading the way and shaping the future direction of our industry.