The National Whaling Bank of New London, Connecticut, was established in 1833, acquired its national charter in 1864, and passed out of existence in February 1943. Founded by a group of whaling men, it remained a conservative institution with a conservative clientele. Thirty accounts constituted about 80 percent of the deposits, while many of the smaller stockholders were descendants of the original incorporators. Only four presidents guided the institution. Coddington Billings was the first, followed by Sebastian Lawrence, Belton Copp, and finally Harold G. Pond. The bank, third oldest in New London, functioned as a small commercial institution; the bulk of its interbanking activity was with New York and Boston banks.