List of oldest banks in continuous operation
Depending on the definition, the world's oldest bank is either Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena or Berenberg Bank. Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena was founded in its present form in 1624, but traces its history to a mount of piety founded in 1472. The Berenberg company was founded in 1590 and has operated continuously ever since with the same family as owners or major co-owners. Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena is today a large Italian retail bank, while Berenberg Bank is primarily involved in investment banking and private banking for wealthy customers; in any event Berenberg Bank is the world's oldest merchant bank or investment bank. The world's oldest central bank is the Sveriges Riksbank, which was founded in 1668.
Joseph Hoare (MP)
Hoare was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, before becoming a Partner in Hoare's Bank in Lombard Street, London, the UK's oldest and world's fourth oldest bank, which was founded by his ancestor Richard Hoare. He married Anne Amelia Buxton, daughter of Charles Buxton and Martha Henning, in 1836, but they had no children before her death in 1843.