In the early 19th century, time off was a luxury few could afford. While the Bank of England had once observed 33 religious holidays, a drastic change in 1834 cut these down to just four. This reduction only affected the Bank’s own staff, but most workers in the industrial age also faced a life of relentless work without guaranteed breaks. Days like Christmas were often taken by custom, but were not protected by law for everyone. The pressure for productivity created an exhausted, overworked labor force with little time for leisure. With the old holy days gone, a new, secular solution was needed to give the nation a break.
The Origin of the Bank Holiday
How one Victorian banker's 1871 Act gave an overworked nation a break by inventing the bank holiday.
Chapter 1
The Holiday Famine
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why were bank holidays created in the first place?
They were created by the Bank Holidays Act 1871 to give overworked bank clerks and other workers guaranteed days off. Before this, the number of holidays had been drastically reduced, and Victorian employees often worked with almost no statutory leave.
Who was Sir John Lubbock?
Sir John Lubbock was the Victorian banker and politician who introduced the Bank Holidays Act. A noted scientist and friend of Charles Darwin, he was so popular for creating the holidays that the public nicknamed them 'St. Lubbock's Days'.
Are the bank holidays today the same as the original ones from 1871?
No, they have changed since 1871. The 1971 Banking and Financial Dealings Act moved the August holiday in England and Wales to the end of the month and created a fixed Late May holiday. New Year’s Day was officially added in England and Wales in 1974, and the May Day holiday followed for those nations in 1978.
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