LSCA Business
If ever a family was associated with the Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountant’s it would be that of our latest member to be awarded an Honorary Life Membership. Jonathan Mounsey is the 6th generation of his family to have graced the accounting profession, and it was with great delight to everyone assembled at the recent Civic reception at the Liverpool Town Hall that Rob Young, deputising for our current President Justin Lang, awarded Jonathan a very deserved Honorary Life Membership. In the build up to the Sesquicentenary Jonathan delivered a fine history of the Society, and to acknowledge Jonathan’s fine life in the profession and his service to the Society we re-print it here:
A little bit about those "14 gentlemen At the recent AGM, Past President Jonathan Mounsey regaled us with a fascinating narrative about some of the founders of the Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountants, and his deep family connections. Here is his near verbatim account, and as you read this, please imagine Joanthan talking to you. Let me talk to you about the LSCA founders and provide you with a snaphot of some of those attending the first meeting on 25 January 1870. LOCATION The offices of Harmood Banner & Son – 24 North John Street, Liverpool WHO?: • Harmood Walcott Banner • John Bewley • Henry Bolland • Anthony Wigham Chalmers • Edward Crossland • CF Finney • David Gibson • GE Holt • Williams Mathison • PB McQuie • RW McCarther • Edward Mounsey • Thomas William Read • E Roberts
Of those names, I will dwell for a little on Harmood Walcott Banner & Edward Mounsey in a moment. Firstly though – what is the history of Accountancy in Liverpool before the formation of The Incorporated Society of Liverpool Accountants on 25th January 1870? Some research undertaken back in 1895 indicated that the first reference to a Liverpool Accountant in a “Directory” was in 1783 and was about John Menzies, Accomptant of Basnet Street in Liverpool, however we are also told that in 1790 there were 5 Accountants in Liverpool 10 in 1796, 3 in 1808, 37 in 1832, 69 in 1849, 91 in 1860, 100 in 1864 & finally 139 in 1870. The notice convening that first meeting in Liverpool cited the main motive for forming the society as being that “The important changes in the mode of winding up insolvent cases publicly and privately
appears to us to render it necessary to form such a society” So – picking up on the names of some of those present Firstly – Harmood Walcott Banner. who was he? His father, Harmood Banner was born in 1782, his grandfather was Thomas Banner and his mother was the daughter of Captain Harmood RN. Harmood Banner – his father – was appointed in 1814 as a “Commissioner to take Bails” (whatever that was, and at that time he was described as “An Accountant”). He set up his firm of Accountants in 1805 – the year of Trafalgar. Harmood Banner’s grave can be found in St James’ cemetery – in the quarry in the grounds of Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral – a fascinating cemetery. if you haven’t wandered around it, I can highly recommend it.
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ISSUE 33 Summer 2022
35
