SHENANIGANS in the financial world are nothing new, probably dating right back to when Eve offered Adam a bite of her apple, or was it a fig, for free. But one of the craftiest stunts was pulled by a man who was a stalwart  of the community, a Worcester doctor and a Quaker to boot.

Dr Dixon lived with his family in the 1800s in a property called Grove Villa, Rainbow Hill, near where the railway bridge crosses the road. Dixon’s home was demolished long ago, but his name lives on in local folklore for a couple of reasons, one not altogether savoury.

He was a friend and customer  of the manager of Tewkesbury Bank at a time when county banks were all the rage.

Their weakness was their investment base, which was not broad enough, making them susceptible to failure if the economy suddenly went south. Such was the case in 1825 when 73 county banks closed. 

However the manager of Tewkesbury Bank, a Mr Dean, had a plan. In order to convince his customers of the bank’s financial strength he took to heating up gold sovereigns on a shovel over a fire in the back of the premises and then presenting them as newly minted coins to impressionable clients.

He also drew Dr Dixon into his subterfuge. First Dixon raised a personal loan of £20,000 in gold sovereigns from the bank. He then returned a few days later and elbowing  his way through the crowds waiting to withdraw their money, dropped the gold on the counter and opened an account with it.

Although he was really doing no more than returning that which he had only recently borrowed.

But the crowds were suitably impressed, the bank was saved and the bank manager so grateful he named his son after Dixon. In fact Sir Dixon Dean was to become the last MP for Evesham.

In 1857 there was a similar effort to stem the tide of public panic in Worcester where Farley’s Bank, which had operated on The Cross for nearly 60 years, failed to open its doors and posted a “suspension of business” notice in its window.

Great crowds gathered outside the premises, where NatWest now stands, suitably anxious about their money.  

Despite the appearance of county big wig Lord Beauchamp of Madresfield Court, who assured them everything was alright, Farley’s failed and never opened its doors again.

Meanwhile at Grove Villa in 1824, Dr Dixon had welcomed fellow Quaker Mrs Elizabeth Fry, the pioneering prison reformer. After a grand public breakfast, the party proceeded to the new county jail in Salt Lane, now renamed Castle Street.

As well as addressing huge crowds outside, Mrs Fry was also allowed inside to speak to the prisoners in the prison chapel.

It was a good job her host’s financial chicanery in Tewkesbury was 12 months hence or he might have been among them.