"To bind the humbler to the more influential and wealthy classes". Reporting by savings banks in nineteenth century Britain

The article explores the reporting of the class status and identity of savers by British savings banks in the nineteenth century, during a period of growing interest in statistical reporting as a means of social control. It reviews in detail the annual reports produced by a number of banks and places their form and content in relation to the claims made for the banks. social contribution. This is set in the context of contemporary social, economic and political debates about the function of savings as a means of educating the poor and strengthening bonds between the elite and the working classes.