Possible Clues:

• One lending against deposited goods
• Man smashed head of Russian moneylender
• Insurance dealer to a chess player?
• Kind of lender that's manipulated person with less money
• Uncle is lowly man with no money ending in gutter
• Lender against items
• Uncle's dreadful row with banker after end of slump
• Moneylender on the board is bankrupt and heading for ruin
• Hockshop figure
• Uncle manipulated person with no money, close to despair