Records of the Great Britain Mutual Life Assurance Society including deeds of settlement; forms of policies; agreements and assignments; and papers relating to clients and policy holders.

Records including minutes; policy registers; annual reports; financial records including papers relating to shares and shareholders; agreements; correspondence; deeds; and reports; of predecessors and subsidiaries of the Guardian Royal Exchange Assurance Company, as follows:

Guardian Assurance Company Limited;
Royal Exchange Assurance;
Albion Fire Insurance Company Limited;
Atlas Assurance Company Limited;
British Equitable Assurance Company Limited;
Caledonian Insurance Company;
Car and General Insurance Corporation Limited;
Car Services Limited;
Essex and Suffolk Insurance Company Limited;
Licenses and General Insurance Company Limited;
Liverpool and London Plate Glass Insurance Company;
Local Government Guarantee Society;
London and Manchester Plate Glass Insurance Company;
Manchester Assurance Company Limited;
Motor Union Insurance Company Limited;
National Provincial Insurance Company Limited;
Pilot Insurance Corporation Limited;
Reliance Marine Insurance Company;
State Assurance Company Limited;
United British Insurance Company Limited;
Westminster and General Insurance Company Limited;
Essex and Suffolk Accident Indemnity Society.

Records of the Guardian Fire and Life Assurance Company, later known as the Guardian Assurance Company Limited; comprising minute books, reports on potential business overseas, correspondence, shareholders' ledgers and financial accounts.

24 hours notice is required for access to Mss 16209-10 and 18093-111. Access to Ms 16209/1-34 is also subject to special conditions: please consult staff for information.

Records of Royal Exchange Assurance, comprising fire policy registers 1753-1870 (Mss 7252-5); inventories of works of art relating to policies 1822-1913 (Ms 10461); court and committee minutes 1825-1964 (Mss 16235-243, 16245-6, 16250); financial records including life journals and ledgers 1842-1943 (Ms 16251-4); accounts of affiliated companies 1908-1944 (Ms 31634); reports 1838-1957 (Ms 16246A-249); stock ledgers 1838-1927 (Ms 16233) and some staff records 1906-19 and 1927 (Ms 16244).

Mss 16232 and Ms 16234 have been returned to the depositor.

Please note that 24 hours notice is required for access to Mss 16232-54 and 31634.

Albion Fire Insurance Association Limited records comprise minutes of the board of directors and of annual general meetings. They are held off-site and require 24 hours notice for access.

British Equitable Assurance Company Limited records consist of Board of Directors and Finance Committee minute books. They are held off-site and therefore require 24 hours notice for access.

Caledonian Insurance Company records comprise minutes and agendas, as well as overseas report books. They are held off-site and therefore require 24 hours notice for access.

Car and General Insurance Corporation Limited records comprise minutes of the board of directors 1903-1973 (Ms 16189) and minutes of the committee of directors 1930-1961 (Ms 16190).

Essex and Suffolk Insurance Company Limited records comprise board minutes and agendas 1907-1909 (Mss 16193-4) and a register of applications for and allotment of shares 1907 (Ms 16192).

Licenses and General Insurance Company Limited records comprise Board minute books and accounts. 24 hours notice is required for access to these records.

Liverpool and London Plate Glass Insurance Company Board of Directors minutes.

Local Government Guarantee Society board of directors minutes.

London and Manchester Plate Glass Insurance Company Limited board of directors minutes and annual balance sheets.

Manchester Fire and Life Assurance Company (later known as Manchester Assurance Company Limited) records comprise deeds of settlement 1824 and 1846, and registers of proprietors and/or shareholders 1825-1854 (Mss 16217-221); minutes 1825-1905 (Mss 16222-5); overseas department accounts 1889-94 (Ms 16226) and register of losses 1901-3 (Ms 16227).

Motor Union Insurance Company Limited records comprise board minutes 1920-1936 (Ms 16228) and committee of directors minutes 1930-1941 (Ms 16229).

Board minute books of the National Provincial Insurance Company Limited.

Pilot Insurance Corporation Limited minutes of the board of directors.

Reliance Marine Insurance Company Limited records comprise board minute books. 24 hours notice is required for access to these records.

State Assurance Company Limited records comprise share records 1891-1955 (Mss 16255, 16257-8), minutes 1891-1944 (Ms 16259) and miscellaneous papers 1917-29 (Ms 16256).

Minutes of the United British Insurance Company Limited.

Minutes of the Westminster and General Insurance Company Limited.

Essex and Suffolk Accident Indemnity Society records comprise board minutes and agendas 1907-9 (Mss 16193-4) and a register of applications for and allotment of shares 1907 (Ms 16192).

Records of Harrisons and Crosfield Limited relating to insurance; including Insurance Department reports, financial accounts, papers and policy journals; and papers relating to insurance claims, particularly for cargoes diverted or requisitioned during the Second World War.

Records of Chandler, Hargreaves, Whittall and Company Limited, insurance brokers, comprising general correspondence and papers relating to the purchase of the company by Harrisons and Crosfield Limited.

Records of the Imperial Continental Gas Association, including:

1. Deeds of settlement, Acts of Parliament (Mss 23319-326);
2. Directors' minutes and other papers (Mss 23327-340);
3. General (Shareholders) meetings minutes and annual reports and accounts (Mss 23341-345);
4. Secretary's papers (Mss 23346-376);
5. Accounts (Mss 23377-413);
6. Gas and electricity contracts:
   Belgium (Mss 23414-424),
   France (Mss 23425-30),
   Germany (Mss 23431-432),
   Netherlands (Mss 23433-434),
   Roumania (Ms 23435);
7. Staff records (Mss 23436-442, Mss 31767-8);
8. Property records (gas works, offices etc):
   Austria-Hungary (Mss 23443-445),
   Belgium (Mss 23446-66),
   Germany (Ms 23467),
   Netherlands (Ms 23468),
   London (Ms 23449-74);
9. Notes for company histories (Ms 23475-480);
10. Annual reports and accounts of subsidiaries (Mss 23481-482).

Records of Gray, Dawes and Company, general merchants and agents, including partnership deeds; articles of association; correspondence; memoranda; financial accounts; papers relating to investments; papers of the insurance department; papers of the inward freight department; papers regarding the British India Steam Navigation Company Limited; and secretarial papers.

Records of Gray, MacKenzie and Company Limited, general merchants and agents in the Persian Gulf, including partnership agreements; articles of association; correspondence; legal papers; financial accounts; annual reports; papers relating to property; historical notes; papers relating to Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company Limited, Bahrein Slipway Company Limited and Dilmun Navigation Company Limited.

Institute of London Underwriters records as follows: General Meetings minutes (Ms 31840); annual reports (Ms 31841); Committee minutes and agendas (Mss 31842-4); minutes of various lesser committes and sub-committees (Mss 31845-62); registers of members (Ms 31863); ledgers and cash books (Mss 31864-7); circulars (Mss 31868-9); clauses books (Ms 31870); out-letter books (Mss 31871-80); and miscellaneous papers (Mss 31881-97). The 1884 Memorandum and Articles of Association can be found in vol. 1 of the registers of members (Ms 31863).

A cut-off date of 1960 was applied, and volumes or series (other than Circulars) continuing after this date may only be consulted by readers who have written permission from the donor: ask a member of staff for more information.

Records of Legal and General Assurance Society Limited, subsidiaries, and companies which it acquired. The records include minutes, annual reports, registers, financial accounts, specimens of policies and forms, and staff registers. The papers relate to life, accident and fire insurance; investments and pensions.

Papers of Legal and General (Pensions Management) Limited, including memorandum and articles of association; annual reports; minutes; investment reports; and annual review.

Records of Legal and General (Unit Pensions) Limited, comprising minutes of annual general meetings and annual reports and accounts.

Records of Legal and General International Limited, comprising annual reports and accounts.

Records of the British Commonwealth Insurance Company, including memorandum and articles of association; papers relating to the acquisition by Legal and General; minutes; annual reports and accounts; financial records; register of investments and specimen policy forms.

Records of Glanfield Securities Limited, including memorandum and articles of association; minutes; annual reports and accounts; registers; and financial records.

Records of the Gresham Fire and Accident Insurance Society, including memorandum and articles of association; minutes and agendas; annual reports and accounts; registers; financial records; papers regarding foreign and overseas business; specimens of forms and policies; and staff registers.

Records of the Gresham Life Assurance Society, including registers, notices, minutes, annual reports, financial accounts, valuation summaries, samples of policy forms, and papers relating to branches in Austria, Hungary, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, South Africa, and Spain.

Also papers of the Gresham Continental Life Assurance Society, including memorandum and articles of association, minute books and letter books.

Records of the Victory Insurance Company, comprising annual reports and accounts, a prospectus, and a register of members.

Records of the Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society, including minute books; annual accounts; annual reports; correspondence; reports; press cuttings; legal case papers and papers relating to court proceedings; financial records; advertising leaflets; and papers relating to staff pensions and employment matters.

Access to records less than 30 years old should be sought from Liverpool Victoria (contact details may be obtained from a member of staff).

The archive comprises records of London Life Association Limited, 1806-1953; Clergy Mutual Assurance Society, 1829-1935; and Metropolitan Life Assurance Society, 1834-1933.

London Life Association Limited records comprise minutes and accounts 1806-1944 (Ms 19634-41), policy registers 1873-1953 (Ms 19642-4) and scrapbook of printed forms 1891-1923 (Ms 19645).

Clergy Mutual Assurance records comprise minutes and accounts 1829-1924 (Ms 19646-50); policy and claims registers 1830-1935 (Ms 19651-3); and miscellaneous items 1891-1914 (Ms 19654-6).

Metropolitan Life Assurance Society records comprise minutes, accounts and regulations 1834-1933 (Ms 19657-67), policy registers 1835-ca. 1928 (Ms 19661, 19668-72).

Access to records which are closed for 80 years should be sought from London Life Association (contact details may be obtained from a member of staff).

Records of the National Mutual Life Assurance Society and predecessors the National Life Assurance Society and the Mutual Life Assurance Society. The records include constitutional documents, minutes, annual reports and accounts, seal books, reports, policy records and other administrative papers.

24 hours notice is required for access to this material. The records are subject to a 30 year rule: the permission of the depositor is required for access to material less than 30 years old (ask a member of staff for further information).

National Life Assurance Society records comprise constitutional documents, minutes, annual reports and accounts, correspondence, accounts, reports, policy registers and books of tables. They include some series continued after the merger in 1896.

24 hours notice is required for access to this material.

Mutual Life Assurance Society records comprise constitutional documents, minutes, annual reports and accounts, records of policies and claims, and other administrative records. Some series were maintained by National Mutual after the merger.

24 hours notice is required for access to this material.

Whittington Life Assurance Company records comprise constitutional documents, records of policies, prospectuses and other administrative material. 24 hours notice is required for access to this material.

National Provident Institution records comprise: records relating to registration and regulation, 1829-1964; annual reports, 1838-1931; minutes, 1835-1936; financial records, 1836-1948; correspondence, 1844; policy and claims registers, 1837-38; reports, 1835-1948; records relating to staff, 1836-1902; and miscellaneous papers, 1838-c 1960.

Records of the Provident Mutual Life Assurance Association, including minutes, financial material, records of policies and claims, and records of the benevolent fund. The records include some records of the Planet (later Citizen) Assurance Corporation Limited, which was absorbed by the Association in 1874.

Records of Sun Insurance Office Limited as well as companies which merged with Sun Insurance, such as Alliance Assurance Company Limited; and subsidiary companies such as Bath Sun Fire Office, Patriotic Assurance Company of Dublin and London Assurance. The records include policy registers; administrative papers; minutes; reports; financial records; deeds; publications and photographs.

THESE RECORDS ARE SUBJECT TO A 50 YEAR CLOSURE PERIOD. LIFE POLICY REGISTERS, CLAIMS REGISTERS AND EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY POLICY REGISTERS ARE CLOSED FOR 75 YEARS.

Records of the Alliance Assurance Company Limited, comprising constitutional documents; board minutes and various committee minutes; life policy registers; reports of foreign visits, 1863-1965; agents' instruction books, 1868-1963, and other financial and administrative records.

'Life' material is subject to a 75 year closure period. Other material is subject to a 50 year closure period.

Records of the Alliance Marine Assurance Company, later known as Alliance Marine and General Assurance Company Limited, comprising deeds of settlement, minutes and financial material.

Records of the Bath Sun Fire Office comprising Directors' meeting minute book, also used as an out-letter book.

Minutes of Birmingham Mutual Fire and General Insurance Association.