MIDLAND BANK PLC

one of the largest commercial banks in the United Kingdom. It has extensive ties with banks overseas. Headquarters are in the City of London. The bank was established as the Birmingham and Midland Bank in Birmingham in 1836. After absorbing several banks in the Midlands, it entered London by merging with the Central Bank of London Limited in 1891 to form the London City and Midland Bank. Thereafter it attained national coverage by a process of expansion and amalgamation; between 1891 and 1924 the bank made acquisitions throughout England and in Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. The name Midland Bank Ltd. was adopted in 1923. By 1934 it had become the largest deposit bank in the world. Midland's expansion slowed during and after World War II. In the 1960s and '70s it began to establish a presence in important financial centres overseas. In 1981 Midland merged with the California-based Crocker National Bank, but this proved to be a disastrous investment. The bank assumed its present name upon reregistration as a public limited company (PLC) in 1982. In 1992 the Hong Kong-based HSBC (for Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) Holdings PLC acquired control of Midland Bank.