Today, 5th December, marks our Founder’s Day. It’s an extra special milestone this year because we are entering our 150
th year.
John Redmayne, a Yorkshire Bank clerk, set up a stockbroking firm then known as Redmayne & Co in 1875. The first ledger dates back to 5th December, marking Redmayne Bentley's Founder's Day, which we are still celebrating 149 years later.
Back then Leeds was a city which had already witnessed a railway boom and our ledgers and records show when John Redmayne set up his company, investors were keen to buy stocks in overseas railways and tram networks in UK cities, among others.
To mark the occasion, historian Clifford Stead took colleagues on a heritage walk he has researched and created in Leeds city centre. It was an opportunity to learn about the buildings and milestones that have shaped both our firm’s and the city’s financial past, including former locations of key buildings including the old Leeds Stock Exchange.
Timeline: A look at key dates in our history
It’s fair to say that throughout our long history both our business and the financial services sector has seen plenty of change. Below are some key milestones:
- 1875 – John Redmayne set up stockbroking firm Redmayne & Co in Leeds.
- 1900 – Our first regional office was opened in Harrogate.
- 1960s – Redmayne & Co, merged with FW Bentley & Co and JW Granger & Co to form Redmayne Bentley.
- 1973 – Major developments in technology saw local stock exchanges close and everything centralised to London.
- 1980s – The era of major share offers including British Gas and BT.
- 1986 – The “Big Bang,” when the City was deregulated, changed the face of trading as commission rules were no longer set, and small firms would have to compete with bigger companies and banks were now allowed to trade.
- 1998 – Redmayne Bentley first named Stockbroker of the Year by the Investors’ Chronicle, an award which we also received in 2011, 2018 and 2022.
- Late 1990s/early 2000s – Saw the dot-com bubble when online tech companies attracted considerable interest from investors.
- 2021 – We announced the launch of our first digital-only investment service, our Managed Portfolio Service (MPS).
- 2022 – Saw the launch of our Financial Planning Service
- 2024 – We were given a 5* rating for our Stockbroker, ISA and Wealth Manager services – the highest accolade available - by readers of the Investors’ Chronicle at its Celebration of Investment Awards.
- 2024 – We enter our 150th year.
Remaining true to our values
Over the years, Redmayne Bentley has grown and evolved into the business it is today but, as we’ve grown, our priorities have remained resolute - to provide a personal service to clients and a friendly, inclusive environment for our colleagues.
Today we are one of the largest, independent investment management and stockbroking firms in the UK with over 25 offices nationwide in areas as far afield as London, Belfast, York, Manchester, and Exeter.
We are proud to say we have achieved a number of accolades over the years. We were given a 5* rating for each of our Stockbroker, ISA and Wealth Manager services – the highest accolade available – from Investors’ Chronicle readers at the recent Celebration of Investment Awards 2024. Earlier this year we received Best Execution-Only Stockbroking at the City of London Wealth Management Awards.
These accolades mean a lot to us. Throughout our long history we’ve always endeavoured to provide excellent personal investment services and to ensure Redmayne Bentley remains as relevant today as it did all those years ago.
As we head into a New Year, we are looking forward to what 2025 and our 150th year brings.