Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Joplin, Thomas
JOPLIN, THOMAS (1790?–1847), writer on banking, born about 1790 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, possibly the son of John Joplin or Jopling, sculptor there (Mackenzie, History of Newcastle, ii. 589), studied political economy, and published at Newcastle in 1822 ‘An Essay on the General Principles and Present Practices of Banking in England and Scotland; with Observations upon the Justice and Policy of an immediate Alteration in the Charter of the Bank of England, and the Measures to be pursued in order to effect it.’ This work explained the system of Scottish banking, and suggested the establishment of a joint-stock bank; it went through several editions, and attracted the notice of many statesmen, although the design was not then carried out. In 1824 the Provincial Bank of Ireland was formed in London, and Joplin became actively concerned in its management. In 1828, shortly after joint-stock banks were permitted sixty-five miles from London, Joplin left the Provincial Bank of Ireland, and submitted a scheme to his cousin, George Fife Angas [q. v.], for the association of a number of provincial banks together under a central management, but with considerable local freedom of action. He proposed to call the new concern the National Provincial Bank of England. The estimated expense of initiating the scheme was only 300l., which Angas in 1829 engaged to find, but owing to the disturbances attending the reform agitation, the plan was not carried out till 1833, when the National Provincial Bank was established. On 3 Aug. in that year Joplin's name was placed in the deed of settlement as one of the directors and as the originator of the bank (Edwin Hodder, George Fife Angas, pp. 85, 87). He helped to establish banks at Lancaster, Huddersfield, Bradford, Manchester, &c., some of which were very successful, but he derived little, if any, pecuniary benefit from his efforts. About 1836 a dispute with his fellow-directors led to the severance of his connection with the National Provincial Bank. Joplin died at Böhmischdorf in Silesia, whither he had gone for his health, on 12 April 1847. Joplin claimed for his writings considerable influence on English banking, but he has never been recognised as an authority. His works (besides those mentioned) are: 1. ‘Outlines of a System of Political Economy, written with a view to prove … that the Cause of the present Agricultural Distress is entirely artificial, and to Suggest a Plan for the Management of the Currency,’ Newcastleon-Tyne, 1823. 2. ‘Views on the subject of Corn and Currency,’ Newcastle-on-Tyne, 1826. 3. ‘Views on the Corn Bill of 1827, and other Measures of Government; together with a further Exposition of certain Principles on Corn and Currency before published,’ 1828. 4. ‘An Analysis and History of the Currency Question; together with an Account of the Origin and Growth of Joint-stock Banking in England,’ 1832. 5. ‘A Letter to the Directors of the National Provincial Bank of England,’ 1834. 6. ‘Case for Parliamentary Inquiry into the circumstances of the [Financial] Panic [of 1825], in a Letter, &c.,’ 1835? 7. ‘An Examination of the Report of the Joint-stock Bank Committee,’ 1836. 8. ‘On our Monetary System …; with an Explanation of the Causes by which the Pressures in the Money Market are produced, and a Plan for their Remedy,’ 2nd edit. 1840. 9. ‘The Cause and Cure of our Commercial Embarrassments,’ 1841. 10. ‘An Essay on the Condition of the National Provincial Bank of England, with a view to its Improvement,’ 1843. 11. ‘Currency Reform: Improvement, not Depreciation,’ 1844. 12. ‘An Examination of Sir Robert Peel's Currency Bill of 1844,’ 2nd edit., with supplementary observations, 1845. 13. ‘Circular to the Directors and Managers of the Joint-stock Banks; containing a brief Explanation of the Advantages that would result from the Government adopting as its own the Circulation of all the Banks of Issue in the Three Kingdoms,’ 3rd edit. 1845.
[Works referred to; Gent. Mag. March 1848, p. 320.]