The banker who gave Britain reason to rest

Today is Easter Monday in the Christian world and here in the UK it is a public holiday, or ‘bank’ holiday as they are known.

A day off from work never used to be something that employers wanted to give people, but here in the UK in 1871 British banker John Lubbock changed all that.

Before 1871, there were only two days in the year, apart from Sundays, recognised under English Common Law as days when banks didn't do business - Good Friday and Christmas Day. Banks were unable to close on weekdays as to do so would have put them at the risk of bankruptcy.

Lubbock's involvement stemmed from recognising the inefficiencies of ad-hoc bank closures, which often led to disputes over bill maturities and payments and positioned the measure as a moderate reform to alleviate worker fatigue.

Lubbock was a part-time scientist, full-time eccentric, and a man apparently determined to teach his dog to read. He wasn’t a union leader or a radical, but he did love cricket and his desire to attend matches was reportedly one of the triggers for the bill!

Ultimately, Lubbock wanted to ensure that all bank employees had more opportunities for relaxation than just those two weekend days afforded. So he drafted the Bank Holidays Bill in February 1871, which was then given Royal Assent in August of the same year. 

In the years that followed the signing of the bill other businesses, shops, government departments, schools, colleges and universities also chose to close on these days, thus enshrining a tradition that lives on today.

Now, millions of people around the UK look forward to spending bank holidays at the seaside (after queuing for hours to get there) or in the countryside (huddled under umbrellas) all thanks to a Victorian banker who understood that rest wasn't the enemy of productive work, it was the enabler of it.