Authentic London Walks
  • Home
  • Bookings
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Trip Advisor
  • Instagram

Another unusual Bank of England story 

1/6/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
Reading Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, one of the classics of children's literature, and did a little reading about the author himself.

Grahame wanted to attend Oxford University, but was not allowed to do so by his guardian on grounds of cost. Instead he was sent to work at the Bank of England in 1879. He rose through the ranks until retiring as its Secretary in 1908 due to ill health, which may have been precipitated by a ‘strange, possibly political’ shooting incident at the bank in 1903, where Grahame was shot at three times. 

Grahame's Bank career is little-known, but it is very likely that his thirty-year career had some influence on his writing; the  influence of colleagues on the famous characters he created and the atmosphere of life at the grand old institution. Many sources say, ‘Grahame's departure from the Bank is quite mysterious.' He was awarded an annual pension of £400 though he was actually due £710; Grahame needn't have worried as The Wind in the Willows was published shortly thereafter. 

1 Comment
Giles Burt link
1/12/2020 05:05:15 pm

Appreciate you bllogging this

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Authentic London Blog

    Enjoy our stories? Sometimes we blog a few. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook to stay up to date.

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.