National Trust played an important role in the development of the west through the issuance of farm mortgages.

In the early 1950s, National Trust expanded beyond its fiduciary operations and developed a deposit and savings arm.

The origins of the National Trust Company trace to 1861, when George Albertus Cox entered the financial services industry.

In 1861, Cox joined Canada Life and opened a new branch in Peterborough, which a short time later was doing over half the company's business.

[2] Cox had invested heavily in the Bank of Commerce and by 1890 owned two percent of the company's shares; that same year he was appointed president.

National Trust opened for business on 24 August 1898 at 26 King Street, the headquarters of Central Canada Savings.

The first president was Cox's nominee, Flavelle; the first vice-president was A. E. Ames; and the interim general manager was Edward Rogers Wood.

Along with Wood, the other four members of the original staff were C. O. Merson, James Watt, Herbert Morley Asling, and A. D. Morrow.

White left the company in 1911 to take a cabinet position in the government of Robert Borden, and was succeeded as general manager by William E. Rundle.

[6] To execute the merger, all shares of National Trust were transferred to V&G's holding company, the Victoria and Grey Trustco.

Its registered office is 1 Ontario Street in Stratford, the former headquarters of the British Mortgage and Trust Company, which was acquired by Victoria and Grey in 1965.