About the event
When: Thursday 17 August, 5pm to 8pm (last entry 7.30pm)
Join us for an evening event exploring the many connections between the Huguenots (French Protestants who sought refuge in England in the 16th and 17th centuries) and the Bank of England.
The night will include some special items from our collection related to the Huguenots, as well as a free talk by special guests from the Huguenot Museum. This event is in association with the Huguenot Museum.
Talk: The Bank of England's Huguenot directors and papermakers
- 6pm to 7pm
This talk will focus on the Houblons and the Lethieulliers, leading Huguenot and Walloon families who subscribed to the Bank of England. They married into other Huguenot and Dutch merchant families, creating an international network. They belonged to the Grocers’ Company whose hall provided the Bank of England’s second premises from 1695.
This talk is free and available on a first come, first serve basis. Please see visit the Information Desk upon arrival to check availability and pick up a free ticket. Tickets will be available from 5pm. We expect the talk to fill up fast, so please arrive early to avoid disappointment.
About the Speakers
Dr Tessa Murdoch FSA worked at the Museum of London 1981-1990 and at the V&A 1990-2021. Her recent publications include Europe Divided: Huguenot Refugee Art and Culture (V&A, 2021). Tessa advises the National Trust and the National Heritage Memorial Fund, is a Board Member of the Idlewild Trust, and currently serves as Acting Chair of the Trustees of the Huguenot Museum, Rochester. She is a member of the Contemporary Craft Committee at the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
Sir Jonathan Portal’s five greats grandfather was the Huguenot Henri de Portal who won the Bank of England banknote contract in 1724. He is a practising chartered accountant, advising small companies on financial and strategic matters. He is past Master of the Clothworkers livery company and trustee of Winchester Cathedral Trust, St Cross and Step by Step Partnership.
