ABSTRACT
The Mercantile Bank of India, London, and China needed a nucleus of experienced officers when it commenced business in January 1854 and, as we have seen (above, pp. 24-7), the original key staff were largely obtained from other Eastern exchange banks. The incentives to join Mercantile Bank were no doubt the immediate opportunity of appoint ment to the bank’s highest posts, better salaries and the attraction of join ing a new bank which had every prospect of a good future. Amongst these first officers of Mercantile Bank who came from competitors were William Cohen and Robert Lancaster from the Oriental Bank Corporation, G. P. Robinson, Alexander Anderson and John Costerton from the Commercial Bank of India, R. C. Walker from the Bank of Bombay, and John Geddes from the Agra and United Service Bank.2
