National Mutual Life Assurance Society

The National Life Assurance Society was formed at a meeting of prospective shareholders on 31 December 1829, and became a mutual in 1847. It established agencies internationally, as well as acquiring many from the takeover of the Whittington in 1894. It premises were at 2 King William Street. Whittington Life Assurance Company was taken over by the National Life Assurance Society in 1894 after 3 years of negotiations.

The Mutual Life Assurance Society was founded in 1834 by the brothers James and William Burchell, and originally based at 37 Old Jewry. In 1848 it moved to 39 King Street, and expanded into no. 38 in 1859, new premises being built on the site.

The National Mutual Life Assurance Society was established by the merger of the National and the Mutual Life Assurance Societies in 1896, and was based at the Mutual's offices at 39 King Street (rebuilt in 1936) until its move to larger premises at Bow Churchyard in 1960.

From 1921-38 its chairman was the economist John Maynard Keynes, some of whose papers survive in the collection (his speeches to the AGM, which became City events, have been published in the Collected Writings of John Maynard Keynes, vol.XII, ed D Moggridge, London 1981; they were also reproduced in The Times). During World War II the head office was located at Stanmore. The firm was taken over by General Electric in 2002.