Ahead of its premiere, the Crichton Foundation hosted a preview of a play on the life of the Reverend Henry Duncan at the Elizabeth Crichton Founder’s Day and Henry Duncan Memorial Lunch held on 25th May 2016. The Foundation invited Dave Dewar, writer and producer to recount work of Reverend Duncan. Reverend Duncan was a Dumfriesshire minister who started the world’s first savings bank. He worked in a commercial bank before taking up the ministry in Ruthwell Parish at the turn of the 19th Century. His “penny bank” gave parishioners access to savings and interest for the first time. The model was soon adopted around the globe.
The Elizabeth Crichton Founder’s Day and Henry Duncan Memorial Lunch is hosted by the Foundation as a means of thanking the many people and businesses that support our charitable purposes through subscription to our Friends scheme, sponsorship, advertising and many other ways. This year, instead of a formal Henry Duncan Memorial Lecture, Dave Dewar gave a fascinating account of his life and works. The assembled guests were then treated to a visit by Reverend Duncan himself, played splendidly by the actor Colin Little. The play The Banker Who Cared, written and produced by Dave Dewar, enjoyed its premiere at Ruthwell Church on 26th May followed by a performance at the Catstrand on the 27th. Many of the Foundation’s guests attended the performances.
The Founder’s Day Lunch helps the Foundation to maintain the links between the Crichton and the wider community. The Foundation is most grateful to the Savings Bank Museum, owned and run by TSB, for their sponsorship of this event.