▁Lang port , ▁Som erset ; ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 7 7 0 s , ▁customers ▁depos iting ▁funds ▁with ▁St uck ey ▁had ▁given ▁rise ▁to ▁the ▁emb ry o ▁bank ing ▁business . ▁By ▁ 1 7 8 2 ▁St uck ey ▁had ▁London ▁agents ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 8 0 6 ▁bank ing ▁had ▁grown ▁sufficiently ▁for ▁St uck ey ▁to ▁const itute ▁it ▁separately ▁as ▁the ▁Lang port ▁Bank . ▁Branch es ▁were ▁immediately ▁opened ▁in ▁Br id g water ▁and ▁Br istol , ▁separately ▁constit uted ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁restriction ▁on ▁banks ▁having ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁six ▁partners . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 6 ▁Act , ▁the ▁bank ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁joint ▁stock ▁bank , ▁and ▁the ▁branches ▁were ▁formally ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁St uck ey ' s ▁Bank ing ▁Company . ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁ten ▁years , ▁St uck ey ' s ▁acquired ▁seven ▁local ▁banks ▁and ▁opened ▁an ▁office ▁in ▁London . ▁One ▁notable ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Bank ▁was ▁Walter ▁B age hot , ▁later ▁editor ▁of ▁The ▁Econom ist ▁who ▁was ▁appointed ▁the ▁secretary ▁to ▁the ▁management ▁committee ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 5 . ▁As ▁well ▁as ▁opening ▁new ▁branches , ▁St uck ey ' s ▁continued ▁to ▁make ▁ac quis itions , ▁the ▁last ▁being ▁D uns ford ▁of ▁T iver ton ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 3 . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁its ▁ac quisition ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁St uck ey