Abraham Newland
Encyclopedia
Abraham Newland was the chief cashier
at the Bank of England
from 1782 to 1807. The expression "an Abraham Newland" came to mean a bank note, because without his signature
no Bank of England note was genuine.
Abraham was the son of William Newland and Anne Arnold. His father was a Southwark baker.
He slept in the Bank of England itself for 25 years, so he was largely a stranger to his own house adjoining Highbury Fields
.
When he resigned in 1807, he declined an annuity but accepted a 1000-guinea service of plate.
When he died, he bequeathed many legacies to various family members, including Edmund Edwin, Yeoman Gentleman of Aldbury. He made his money mostly by speculating in shares of loans to the government, as a private investor.
He is perhaps best known among collectors of trivia for his self-written epitaph: "Beneath this stone old Abraham lies; / Nobody laughs, and nobody cries. / Where he has gone, and how he fares / Nobody knows and nobody cares."
Cashier
Cashier is an occupation focused on the handling of cash money.- Retail :In a shop, a cashier is a person who scans the goods through a machine called a cash register that the consumer wishes to purchase at the retail store. After all of the goods have been scanned, the cashier then collects...
at the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
from 1782 to 1807. The expression "an Abraham Newland" came to mean a bank note, because without his signature
Signature
A signature is a handwritten depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a signature is a signatory. Similar to a handwritten signature, a signature work describes the work as readily identifying...
no Bank of England note was genuine.
Abraham was the son of William Newland and Anne Arnold. His father was a Southwark baker.
He slept in the Bank of England itself for 25 years, so he was largely a stranger to his own house adjoining Highbury Fields
Highbury Fields
Highbury Fields is an open space in Highbury, in the London Borough of Islington, England. At 11.75 hectares , it is the largest open space in the borough.It extends north from Highbury Corner almost as far as Highbury Barn...
.
When he resigned in 1807, he declined an annuity but accepted a 1000-guinea service of plate.
When he died, he bequeathed many legacies to various family members, including Edmund Edwin, Yeoman Gentleman of Aldbury. He made his money mostly by speculating in shares of loans to the government, as a private investor.
He is perhaps best known among collectors of trivia for his self-written epitaph: "Beneath this stone old Abraham lies; / Nobody laughs, and nobody cries. / Where he has gone, and how he fares / Nobody knows and nobody cares."