author

of Exeter F.S.A. William Cotton

A practical Victorian banker and local historian, he wrote clearly for everyday readers about money while also preserving the history of Exeter. His work blends real financial experience with a strong sense of civic life.

1 Audiobook

Everybody's Guide to Money Matters With a description of the various investments chiefly dealt in on the stock exchange, and the mode of dealing therein

Everybody's Guide to Money Matters With a description of the various investments chiefly dealt in on the stock exchange, and the mode of dealing therein

by of Exeter F.S.A. William Cotton

About the author

Born in Barnstaple in 1832, he came from a merchant family and began his career as a clerk with the National Provincial Bank. He later managed the bank’s Exeter branch for more than thirty years and became well known in Devon’s public life.

In 1870, he was elected county treasurer of Devon, a post he held for twenty-five years. Contemporary accounts also credited him with useful public service in finance, and he served the city of Exeter as Sheriff and as a magistrate.

Alongside banking, he wrote and edited works on local history, including books drawn from Exeter’s municipal and cathedral records, and he is also known for Everybody’s Guide to Money Matters. He died in 1902, remembered as both a capable financial professional and a careful recorder of Exeter’s past.