HSBC chairman Douglas Flint described the Midland brand as "odds on favourite" for a return to the high street.

[3] In September 2015, it was announced that the Midland Bank name would not be revived, and the branch network in the United Kingdom would be branded "HSBC UK".

[4] Midland Bank was founded by Charles Geach, its first manager in Union Street, Birmingham, England, in August 1836.

Geach had formerly worked at the Bank of England; he secured the business support and capital backing of leading merchants and manufacturers in Birmingham.

[5] By the 1850s the bank's customers included railways, iron founders and engineering concerns, utilities and municipal corporations.

[5] After the First World War, the leading British banks entered an agreement with the government that they would not attempt further amalgamations without Treasury approval.

As a result, Midland turned its attention to expanding its branch network, adding new banking services, mechanising its systems (from 1928) and advertising its activities.

[5] Further diversification followed in 1972, when Midland was the leading member of the consortium that acquired the Thomas Cook travel business.

The largest of these was the purchase of a majority share in Crocker National of California, United States: this was not a success and Midland was forced to take full ownership in 1985 so that it could sell it to Wells Fargo the following year.

[9][10] Until around 2020, the HSBC UK SWIFT code (all offices in the United Kingdom) remained MIDLGB22, reflecting its past as the Midland Bank.

However, a dormant subsidiary, Midland Bank (Branch Nominees) Limited, continues to be registered at Companies House.