Beeching's Bank

This Bank was established originally at 5 Pelham Place during January of 1857. The business was later moved to No. 9 Pelham Place, and in 1872 under the management of Frederick Ransom , another move brought the firm to 17 Wellington Place. In 1880, expansion next door into number 17a of that road was added — the works, which were, with some necessary alterations, carried out by a Mr. H. Mills, transformed into the present structure, which still exists today above and behind the modern shop-front. The last-mentioned building contained two strong rooms, one of which was built in 1872, and one when the aforementioned alterations were made eight or nine years later. The strong rooms were reportedly built at a considerable cost, and further expense was gone to in 1876, to render the then existing strong-room impenetrable to the sea, which flooded it in 1875, during the great November storm of that year. The Bank also had branches at Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells; and agencies in St. Leonards, Bexhill and Southborough.