1866—Bank of England Company.
An important event in the history of the Corps occurred in 1866, in the formation of a new Company, composed of members of the Clerical Establishment of the Bank of England. The Bank had as yet taken no active part in the Volunteer movement; but the Directors, following the traditions of their predecessors of the last century, were very favourably inclined towards it. It was with little difficulty, therefore, that Mr. Kingsmill, to whose energy the formation of the Company was principally due, succeeded in recruiting a sufficiently large contingent to make them an acceptable acquisition to any leading Metropolitan Corps.
An attempt was made to draw them into the ranks of the London Rifle Brigade. Although not servants of the Crown, however, it was felt that there were bonds of affinity which drew them closer to the Civil Service than to any other Corps. Lord Bury’s sanction was readily obtained, and in July, 1866, they joined, 140 strong, under the command of one of the Directors of the Bank—Captain J. P. Currie.
To make room for the new Company, the 1st Whitehall, or F Company, which was then in a weak state, was amalgamated with the 2nd Whitehall, or G Company, and the Bank took rank after the Admiralty as the K Company.