THE LUBBOCK FAMILY 3 



Bower's bequest to the Goldsmiths' Company, 

 and was leased from them. 



Robarts, Curtis, Were, Hornyold & Berwick 

 were established in 1792 at 35 Cornhill. Sir 

 William Curtis was Lord Mayor in 1795. In 

 1797 they moved to 15 Lombard Street, the 

 present site of the bank. It occupies the site 

 of three old houses — Nos. 15, 16, and 17. The 

 two last were Lloyd's Coffee-house, which 

 originated with a coffee-house keeper named 

 Edward Lloyd, who in September 1696 started 

 Lloyd's News. The house was at the west 

 corner of Abchurch Lane. 



The father of the first Lord Avebury, Sir 

 John William, third baronet, came by inherit- 

 ance into the command of the business and 

 banking-house, but at heart was more devoted 

 to the sciences of astronomy and mathematics. 

 He published little, an illustrated book of the 

 stars in the various quarters of the heavens, and 

 of the planets at the different seasons, being 

 his best-known work in connection with astron- 

 omy. His Theory of Probabilities has perhaps 

 been the foundation of more " systems," whether 

 of a gambling or less speculative nature, than 

 is often realised, and the Royal Society awarded 

 him one of its medals for his work on the Tides. 

 For some years he was Treasurer of the Royal 

 Society, and in this office came into touch with 

 many men of science both of this and other 

 countries. The Duke of Sussex was the nominal 

 head of the Royal Society at the time, and Sir 

 John Lubbock's position of Treasurer made him 

 the practical and acting head. 



