Clydesdale Bank - History

History

Clydesdale Bank was founded in Glasgow in 1838. Clydesdale later expanded throughout Scotland, and later became the first Scottish bank to open branches in the north of England. In 1919 Midland Bank acquired Clydesdale Bank. In 1950 Midland Bank merged Clydesdale with the North of Scotland Bank which it acquired in 1926.

The Midland Bank later sold its UK subsidiaries, including Clydesdale Bank, to NAB in 1987. The bank became part of NAB's UK and Irish subsidiaries including Northern Bank in Northern Ireland and National Irish Bank (N.I.B.) in the Republic of Ireland. In 1990 Yorkshire Bank also became part of the group.

In the 1970s Clydesdale Bank became a pioneer in the use of automated banking, including the widespread introduction of "AutoBank" ATMs and keypads at branch counters. A new corporate identity (with a new "CB" logo and a mustard-yellow colour scheme) was also introduced.

In 2001, NAB Group transferred the assets and liabilities of Yorkshire Bank to Clydesdale Bank as part of a reorganisation of its British businesses by amalgamating two banking licences into one. The National Australia Group Europe Act 2001 was a private Act of Parliament passed to facilitate the transfer. Yorkshire Bank is now a trading name of Clydesdale Bank in England.

In 2005 NAB sold Northern Bank and National Irish Bank to the Danish Danske Bank.

In July 2007 Clydesdale Bank became the main sponsor of the Scottish Premier League in an £8 million four-year agreement.