Ian Kerr: Marks and Roy end an era that began with Smith Brothers and ended at Merrill Lynch.

Financial News, December, 2002

Byline: Ian Kerr

Who remembers Smith Brothers, once regarded as one of the sharpest jobbing houses in the City of London?The men (women were not admitted until later) at Durlacher Oldham and Mordaunt and Wedd Jefferson - they merged to form Wedd Durlacher - had mainly been to Eton and were gentlemen down to the tips of their handmade shoes.

The traders from Smith Brothers came from North London or the Essex marshes and were proud of the fact. Better still, they were very, very good.

There were other famous partners at Smith but the City remembers Michael Marks and Paul Roy, who both became legends in their own right. Smith Brothers became Smith New Court (SNC), which proved to be one of Evelyn de Rothschild's shrewder investments.

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