Serving Britain for 250 years

In June 1765, Taylors & Lloyds opened as a private bank in Birmingham. The bank was established by Sampson Lloyd, a Quaker and iron founder, and John Taylor, a Unitarian and cabinet maker along with their two sons. For nearly 100 years, the business prospered from a single Birmingham office. The association with the Taylor family ended on 1853.

Today, the Lloyds Bank black horse is one of the most iconic and enduring logos in the UK. But icons are not created overnight. In fact, the story of the black horse parallels the story of British banking itself. The logo dates back to at least 1677 when it was used by London’s Lombard Street goldsmiths, the forerunners of today’s modern banks. Then, it was adopted by Barnetts, Hoares & Co on the same site, before being inherited by Lloyds Bank in 1884.

The black horse has now been in continuous use by Lloyds Bank for 130 years and today, is one of the most recognised British icons. A potent symbol of the bank’s strength and stability.

Decades of mergers saw Lloyds Bank grow from its Birmingham base to a national and international bank, it merged with TSB in 1995 to become Lloyds TSB Bank.

Along the way Lloyds Bank took over the firm that invented the Travellers cheques, launched the first ATM machine in the UK and played a leading role in one of the first UK credit cards.