THOMAS BEWICK. 



i73 



surrounded by a floral design. The Berwick Bank Note for One Guinea and 

 the Five Pounds of the same, issued shortly afterwards, have some very superior 

 engraving. In 1799 one of Bewick's bank notes was shown to George III., 

 " who greatly admired and approved of it;" and in 1801 an official of the Bank 

 of England wrote respecting its execution, asking various questions as to how 

 it had been engraved. Bewick states he was strongly advised not to give 

 the information ; but he did not take this advice, and " after a deal of 

 trouble in writing to them," he was cavalierly told that though such a plate 

 "would do well for country banks, it would not do for the great number 

 wanted for the Bank of England." 



The plates which Bewick engraved for the Berwick Bank were made so as 

 to prevent further forgeries in pen and ink ; and similar work was put on the 

 Northumberland Bank plates (signed " Bewick "), for One and Five Pounds. 

 This was a combination of plate and wood engraving, the script being done on 

 the copper, and a neat little view executed on wood, and probably printed after- 

 wards. At this time there was great controversy in Parliament and throughout 

 the country respecting forgeries of bank notes, and the punishments connected 

 therewith. But although Bewick's ingenious device of employing both 

 wood and copper engraving rendered imitation very difficult, he did not 

 reap any benefit from his labours. This was a sore point with Bewick, and, 

 as will be seen further on, cost him much trouble and anxiety. In 1802 he 

 did a plate for the Dumfries Banking Company for One Guinea. The figure 

 of Hope with which it was decorated fitly symbolized the feelings of the 

 bank's creditors. Bewick for his work received three of the notes signed, 

 but on presentation it was found that the bank had stopped payment.* 



In 1799 Bewick executed four large wood engravings of animals for 

 Gilbert Pidcock, the owner of a travelling menagerie. They were representa- 



* The " Scottish Banking Magazine," in "A History of Banking in Scotland," refers to "a wretched attempt at 

 Dumfries, where James Grace, with the assistance of his son and another partner, started the Dumfries Commercial 

 Bank in 1804, only to succumb four years later with a deficiency of 105. per pound." 



