Histories

Samuel Munckley was a merchant in Bristol at least as early as 1751. He was a partner in the Hartford Bank, Bristol, 1769-74, but many Bristol bank partners of that period had separate businesses of their own, and the fact that his future partner George Gibbs was serving his apprenticeship to him in 1769 makes it pretty certain that he continued his previous business during these years. From the facts that (1( according to Cave's "History of Banking in Bristol" it was after resigning the Bank in 1774 that Munckley founded in Bristol the West India firm styles Munckley Gibbs and Richards, (2) that A. Gibbs and Sons have a "Sales of West India produce book" which belonged to teh Bristol House and was in continuous use from 1775 to 1875; (3) that a Mr. Richards, no doubt James (who was the 3rd partner in Munckley, Gibbs and Richards), was associated in business with George Gibbs, and Munckley January 1780. From these facts it may be inferred, if not that the style of Munckley Gibbs and Richards began as early as 1775 (though even this is possible in spite of Gibbs, and probably Richards, not being then full partners) at least that the business was under the management of the same men from that date. There is no record of when Richards became a partner