<p>Priscilla Wakefield was a Quaker, writer and social reformer who believed financial security shouldn’t be reserved for the wealthy. Living in late 18th- and early 19th-century England, she founded the country’s first penny savings bank, giving working women and children a safe place to save. Victoria Bateman, author of <em>Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power, </em>tells hosts Gillian Tett and Robin Wigglesworth about Wakefield’s life, her ideas and how a simple concept — saving small sums — helped spark a quiet revolution in financial inclusion, with lessons for today. But that didn’t stop Wakefield from running into financial problems of her own.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Further reading:</p><p>Economica: A global history of women, wealth and power, by Victoria Bateman (2025)</p><p>Reflections on the present condition of the female sex, by Priscilla Wakefield, (reprinted 2015, Cambridge University Press)</p><br><p>Credits: Cambridge Library Collection, National Portrait Gallery, Disruption Worthies, National Park Service, Hollinger &amp; Rockey</p><br><p>To enjoy future episodes, be sure to subscribe to The Story of Money wherever you get your podcasts, also on the show's dedicated YouTube channel here:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2slDVpvnUYR4_x06c287Cw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;&nbsp;/ @ftthestoryofmoney&nbsp;&nbsp;</a></p><br><p>Hosts: Gillian Tett and Robin Wigglesworth</p><p>Producers: Lulu Smyth and Laurence Knight</p><p>Executive Producers: Flo Phillips and Manuela Saragosa</p><p>Original music: Breen Turner</p><p>Broadcast engineers: Bianca Wakeman and Petros Giuompasis</p><p>Podcast Development: Laura Clarke</p><p>Video editor: Kristen Kenyon and Josh Divney at Podcast Discovery</p><br><p>Learn more at www.ft.com/tsom or get in touch at thestoryofmoney@ft.com</p><br><p><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/98735cd5-23f0-4534-8822-c80e7b81df01" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com</strong></a></p><p><br></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The Story of Money

Financial Times

The 18th-century woman who made saving possible for the poor

MAY 27, 202646 MIN
The Story of Money

The 18th-century woman who made saving possible for the poor

MAY 27, 202646 MIN

Description

<p>Priscilla Wakefield was a Quaker, writer and social reformer who believed financial security shouldn’t be reserved for the wealthy. Living in late 18th- and early 19th-century England, she founded the country’s first penny savings bank, giving working women and children a safe place to save. Victoria Bateman, author of <em>Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power, </em>tells hosts Gillian Tett and Robin Wigglesworth about Wakefield’s life, her ideas and how a simple concept — saving small sums — helped spark a quiet revolution in financial inclusion, with lessons for today. But that didn’t stop Wakefield from running into financial problems of her own.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Further reading:</p><p>Economica: A global history of women, wealth and power, by Victoria Bateman (2025)</p><p>Reflections on the present condition of the female sex, by Priscilla Wakefield, (reprinted 2015, Cambridge University Press)</p><br><p>Credits: Cambridge Library Collection, National Portrait Gallery, Disruption Worthies, National Park Service, Hollinger &amp; Rockey</p><br><p>To enjoy future episodes, be sure to subscribe to The Story of Money wherever you get your podcasts, also on the show's dedicated YouTube channel here:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2slDVpvnUYR4_x06c287Cw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;&nbsp;/ @ftthestoryofmoney&nbsp;&nbsp;</a></p><br><p>Hosts: Gillian Tett and Robin Wigglesworth</p><p>Producers: Lulu Smyth and Laurence Knight</p><p>Executive Producers: Flo Phillips and Manuela Saragosa</p><p>Original music: Breen Turner</p><p>Broadcast engineers: Bianca Wakeman and Petros Giuompasis</p><p>Podcast Development: Laura Clarke</p><p>Video editor: Kristen Kenyon and Josh Divney at Podcast Discovery</p><br><p>Learn more at www.ft.com/tsom or get in touch at [email protected]</p><br><p><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/98735cd5-23f0-4534-8822-c80e7b81df01" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com</strong></a></p><p><br></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>