Which British company collapsed in 1825, helping trigger a major financial panic in Britain?

Pole, Thornton and Company collapsed in 1825, helping trigger a major financial panic in Britain.

The bank failed in December 1825 after speculative lending and investment activity had expanded rapidly. Its collapse undermined confidence in London’s financial system and contributed to a wave of bank failures across Britain.

The panic followed a speculative boom involving Latin American securities, mining ventures, and other investments. When confidence reversed, investors rushed to withdraw deposits and sell assets. The Bank of England eventually intervened with emergency support and distributed previously hoarded small-denomination notes.

Pole, Thornton and Company is sometimes confused with Overend, Gurney and Company, whose failure helped trigger the Panic of 1866. It is also distinct from the South Sea Company, whose bubble burst in 1720. These episodes belong to different generations of British financial history.