
What is recorded here
This blue commemorative plaque records: James 'Jemmy' Wood 1756-1836; On this site the Gloucester Old Bank was founded by James Wood's grandfather. James inherited the bank and drapery business in 1802. He was notorious for his frugal lifestyle and meanness and is said to have been inspiration for Charles Dickens' character 'Scrooge'. He became probably the wealthiest commoner in England with a fortune of £1.25 million on his death. The unsatisfactory form of his will caused a costly legal dispute which lasted eleven year and may have inspired Dickens to write about the infamous case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce in his novel 'Bleak House'.
James Wood (1756-1836) inherited and expanded the Gloucester Old Bank, amassing a fortune that made him one of England's wealthiest commoners; he is remembered for his frugality and may have inspired Charles Dickens' character Scrooge. The protracted legal dispute over his will also influenced Dickens, who referenced it in "Bleak House."
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Photo: DIaNyf8q on Wikimedia Commons CC0 · CC0