burst out in laughter and said, "Do you hear that Frederick? Do you hear that? You are the gentleman who keeps Mr Greenwood's money!" The company was thriving by the time of the outbreak of war with France in 1793, employing some 35 clerks. In 1795 they served 14 regiments of cavalry, 64 infantry regiments, and 17 militia regiments, becoming the largest military agent for the army. Richard Cox died in August 1803, leaving his grandson Richard Henry Cox firmly established, with Greenwood as a controlling partner. 19th century onwards Cox & Co grew through the 18th and 19th centuries. Timely alliances with the great banking families such as the Hammerlseys and Greenwoods secured an established position in London, and by the end of the 19th century, most regiments used Cox & Co as their agents. As the empire grew, Cox & Co met the demand for officers to be looked after. The company set up five branches in India between 1905 and 1911. At the start of World War I, Cox & Co employed some 180 staff, of which one third joined the army. During the war some 250,000 men were on their books, 50,000 cheques were cleared a day and a special department was set up to deal with the influx of American soldiers in 1917. By the end of the war, some 4,500 people worked for the firm. Cox & Co suffered a downturn in business as a result of the end of the war in 1918. After the war, Cox & Co. expanded to Alexandria and Egypt (1919 and 1920) and Rangoon (1921). In October 1922, Cox & Co bought Henry S. King Bank, which had a large network of branches in India. They also moved into new offices in Pall Mall. However, in 1923, still suffering from the 1918 downturn, Cox & Kings was forced to sell to Lloyds Bank. During the 1930s, Lloyds sold its Indian interests to Grindlays Bank, who also took the travel and shipping agencies, which continued to flourish in India. Recent history The company was incorporated in India as the "Eastern Carrying Company" on 7 June 1939, under the Indian Companies Act, VII of 1913. The name of the company was changed to "Cox & Kings (India) Ltd." on 23 February 1950, after the introduction of Companies Act 1956. In the year 1970, Cox & Kings Ltd. centred the Grindlays