An investment social network beside the Banco de Barcelona, an unusual case?

The extension of banking activities during the XIX century was mainly leaded by certain social groups related to commerce, which took profit from their experience and knowledge to spread their influence among the credit world. In the Spanish historiography, there are some works specifically focused on these people, but very few of them make a classification of the economic groups who led the financial modernization of Spain along the mid 19th century. The main objective of our work is the analysis of the social group which constituted the Banco de Barcelona between 1844 and 1854. This institution was as important for the financial and banking history of Spain as a pioneer in their credit an issue activity; moreover its experience served as a base for the constitution of the modern Spanish financial system. In a society like the Catalan in mid 19th century, the confidence is an important factor to explain the investment. The appearance of new companies and its investment requirements transformed the previous guidelines. How was the behaviour of the potential investments? Did a powerful investing group grow around the bank and ascended economically throughout the central years of the 19th century? The result shows how de members of the board administration of the Banco de Barcelona, were concentred in some of the groups of the whole of the Catalan economy.