Janet Hogarth made history in 1894 as the first woman to work in the Bank, where she was appointed to supervise a small team of women who sorted used banknotes. The number of women clerks in the Bank increased significantly during the First World War, with 1,309 women appointed by 1919. However, these women were paid less than their male counterparts and had a separate pay structure that remained in place until 1958.

During the Second World War, women clerks on the permanent staff who married were allowed to remain in the service in a temporary capacity at the discretion of the Governors. The range of work for women in the Bank expanded slightly during wartime, including an increase in basic clerical tasks as well as a reduction in roles focused on sorting and counting notes. From 1939 to 1944, there was a 15 percent decrease in employees involved in sorting and counting notes, and a ten percent increase in clerical roles.

The marriage bar was finally lifted in 1949, following post-war labor shortages. Prior to this change, men’s salary scheme was designed to provide a substantial increase around the age of marriage, typically around 28 years old. In contrast, women were required to leave the Bank upon marriage and receive a lump sum, serving essentially as a dowry. This policy was common not only among men but also among civil servants at that time.