George Warde Norman

George Warde Norman (1793–1882) was an English director of the Bank of England, known as a writer on finance.

He was born at Bromley Common, Kent, on 20 September 1793, the son of George Norman, a merchant in the Norway timber trade, and Charlotte, third daughter of Edward Beadon, rector of North Stoneham, Hampshire. He was educated at Eton College from 1805 to 1810, and then was in business with his father, spending time in 1819 to 1821 in Norway. His father retired in 1824, and he remained in the timber trade till 1830, when he transferred it to Sewell & Co., his brother Richard Norman becoming a partner in the new firm.

From 1821 to 1872 Norman was a director of the Bank of England, and in 1826 played a role in the establishment of its branch offices. About 1840 he was appointed a member of the committee of the treasury at the bank. During the commercial crisis of 1847 he spent much of his time at the bank, and conferred daily with Sir Charles Wood, Chancellor of the Exchequer, in Downing Street. In 1832 he was examined before Lord Althorp's committee of the House of Commons inquiry into currency, and in 1840 he gave evidence for six days before Sir Charles Wood's committee on matters connected with circulation. In 1848 he was examined before a committee of the House of Lords on currency matters.

Norman became an exchequer bill commissioner in 1831; was renominated a commissioner in 1842, when the business was transferred to the public works loan commissioners, and served till 1876. He was also a director of the Sun Insurance Office from 1830 to 1864.

Norman was for many years a governor of Guy's Hospital, and the last surviving original member of the Political Economy Club, founded in 1821. In politics he was a liberal, and an advocate of free trade; in 1835 he was asked to stand for election to Parliament for the City of London, and later to contest West Kent, but declined. He took an interest in matters connected with the Poor Law administration.

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