Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1710-1947 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
185 production units.
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
In 1708 Charles Povey founded the Exchange House Fire Office. In the next year, a Company of London Insurers was formed, consisting of 24 members. In 1710 Povey transferred his right in the Exchange House, also known as the Sun Fire Office, to the Company of London Insurers. The business of the Sun Fire Office was henceforth conducted in Causey's Coffee House near St Paul's Cathedral. In March 1711 it moved to a house in Sweeting's Rents. The Company was governed by two bodies: the General Court which was a meeting of all the managers, and the Committee of Management (consisting of 7 members) which met weekly.
A branch office, known as the Charing Cross office (or Westminster House), was opened in Craig's Court in 1726. The office was moved to 60 and 61 Charing Cross in 1866.
Business in Germany was established during the first half of the 19th century, and during the second half of the century the Sun Insurance Office began to operate in rest of Europe, the Near East, the Far East, the USA, Canada, South America, Australasia, China and Africa.
The Accident Department and the Marine Department were established in 1907 and 1921 respectively.
The name of the company was changed to the Sun Insurance Office in 1891. It became a public limited liability company in 1926. In 1959 it merged with Alliance to form Sun Alliance Insurance Limited, and in 1996 Sun Alliance merged with Royal Insurance to form the Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Group.
The Sun Life Assurance Society was established in 1810 to take over the life insurance business of the Sun Fire Office. The membership of each company's board of managers was identical. Sun Life was based in Bank Buildings, then at Threadneedle Street, and later at Cheapside. The collection includes very few records of Sun Life Assurance Society.
The Sun Insurance Office archive includes records relating to the Sun Indemnity Company of New York. In 1822 the Sun Fire Office took over the Watertown Insurance Company and a US manager was appointed. By the end of 1886 the company was represented in 20 states. The following year the head office of the US branch was moved to New York. The Sun Insurance Office floated the Sun Indemnity Company of New York and the Patriotic Insurance Company of America in 1922. In 1929 the Sun Underwriters Insurance Company of New York was formed. In 1955 these companies were reorganized into two firms: the Sun branch, and the Sun Insurance Company of New York (incorporating Sun Indemnity, Patriotic, and Sun Underwriters).
The Sun Insurance Office had a number of UK subsidiary companies, including: Bath Sun Fire Office (from 1838, see CLC/B/192-06); Patriotic Assurance Company of Dublin (from 1906, see CLC/B/192-30); Alliance Assurance Company (from 1959, see CLC/B/192-02); London Assurance (from 1965, see CLC/B/192-26); and Planet Assurance Company (from 1968, see CLC/B/192-32).
The company was based at Causey's Coffee House in St Paul's Church Yard (1710-11), Sweeting's Rents (1711-27), Threadneedle Street (1727-63), Bank Buildings in Cornhill (1763-1843), and Threadneedle Street (1843-).
Repository
Archival history
GB 0074 CLC/B/192/B 1710-1947 Collection 185 production units. Sun Fire Office x Sun Insurance Office Ltd x Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd x Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Group
In 1708 Charles Povey founded the Exchange House Fire Office. In the next year, a Company of London Insurers was formed, consisting of 24 members. In 1710 Povey transferred his right in the Exchange House, also known as the Sun Fire Office, to the Company of London Insurers. The business of the Sun Fire Office was henceforth conducted in Causey's Coffee House near St Paul's Cathedral. In March 1711 it moved to a house in Sweeting's Rents. The Company was governed by two bodies: the General Court which was a meeting of all the managers, and the Committee of Management (consisting of 7 members) which met weekly.
A branch office, known as the Charing Cross office (or Westminster House), was opened in Craig's Court in 1726. The office was moved to 60 and 61 Charing Cross in 1866.
Business in Germany was established during the first half of the 19th century, and during the second half of the century the Sun Insurance Office began to operate in rest of Europe, the Near East, the Far East, the USA, Canada, South America, Australasia, China and Africa.
The Accident Department and the Marine Department were established in 1907 and 1921 respectively.
The name of the company was changed to the Sun Insurance Office in 1891. It became a public limited liability company in 1926. In 1959 it merged with Alliance to form Sun Alliance Insurance Limited, and in 1996 Sun Alliance merged with Royal Insurance to form the Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Group.
The Sun Life Assurance Society was established in 1810 to take over the life insurance business of the Sun Fire Office. The membership of each company's board of managers was identical. Sun Life was based in Bank Buildings, then at Threadneedle Street, and later at Cheapside. The collection includes very few records of Sun Life Assurance Society.
The Sun Insurance Office archive includes records relating to the Sun Indemnity Company of New York. In 1822 the Sun Fire Office took over the Watertown Insurance Company and a US manager was appointed. By the end of 1886 the company was represented in 20 states. The following year the head office of the US branch was moved to New York. The Sun Insurance Office floated the Sun Indemnity Company of New York and the Patriotic Insurance Company of America in 1922. In 1929 the Sun Underwriters Insurance Company of New York was formed. In 1955 these companies were reorganized into two firms: the Sun branch, and the Sun Insurance Company of New York (incorporating Sun Indemnity, Patriotic, and Sun Underwriters).
The Sun Insurance Office had a number of UK subsidiary companies, including: Bath Sun Fire Office (from 1838, see CLC/B/192-06); Patriotic Assurance Company of Dublin (from 1906, see CLC/B/192-30); Alliance Assurance Company (from 1959, see CLC/B/192-02); London Assurance (from 1965, see CLC/B/192-26); and Planet Assurance Company (from 1968, see CLC/B/192-32).
The company was based at Causey's Coffee House in St Paul's Church Yard (1710-11), Sweeting's Rents (1711-27), Threadneedle Street (1727-63), Bank Buildings in Cornhill (1763-1843), and Threadneedle Street (1843-).
The records of the Sun Insurance Office have been deposited in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library by the Sun Alliance in a series of deposits from 1966. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.
Papers of the Sun Insurance Office Limited relating to meetings; including General Committee minutes; Directors' meeting minutes; Management Committee minutes; annual general meeting minutes; minutes of the Accounts Committee, Finance Committee, Town Committee, Country Committee, and Building Committee; minutes of special committees such as the Committee of Inquiry relating to firemen, fire engines and water supply; report books; and resolutions book.
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 arranged by MS number, assigned during cataloguing at the Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section.
Access by appointment only. Please contact staff.
Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.
English
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
The Sun Insurance Office Limited papers have been divided over several sub-fonds:
CLC/B/192/A: Constitution;
CLC/B/192/B: Meetings;
CLC/B/192/C: Shares and investments;
CLC/B/192/DA: Administrative records: correspondence;
CLC/B/192/DB: Administrative records: reports / visits;
CLC/B/192/DC: Administrative records: agencies;
CLC/B/192/DD: Administrative records: general;
CLC/B/192/DE: Administrative records: staff;
CLC/B/192/E: Finance;
CLC/B/192/F: Policies;
CLC/B/192/G: Premises and property;
CLC/B/192/H: Other bodies.
In addition, the papers of various subsidiary companies and companies which merged with the Sun Insurance Office or with Sun Alliance are catalogued as CLC/B/192-02 to -37.
A history of the company, P.G.M. Dickson, The Sun Insurance Office 1710-1960 (London, 1960), is held in the Printed Books Section of Guildhall Library.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
January to May 2011. Emergency services Fire services Life insurance Enterprises Companies Assurance companies Service industries Insurance services Financial service industries Accident insurance Information sources Documents Insurance records Finance Insurance Fire insurance Business records Maritime insurance Sun Fire Office x Sun Insurance Office Ltd x Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd x Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Group London England UK Western Europe Europe
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The records of the Sun Insurance Office have been deposited in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library by the Sun Alliance in a series of deposits from 1966. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers of the Sun Insurance Office Limited relating to meetings; including General Committee minutes; Directors' meeting minutes; Management Committee minutes; annual general meeting minutes; minutes of the Accounts Committee, Finance Committee, Town Committee, Country Committee, and Building Committee; minutes of special committees such as the Committee of Inquiry relating to firemen, fire engines and water supply; report books; and resolutions book.
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.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Records arranged by MS number, assigned during cataloguing at the Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Access by appointment only. Please contact staff.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
The Sun Insurance Office Limited papers have been divided over several sub-fonds:
CLC/B/192/A: Constitution;
CLC/B/192/B: Meetings;
CLC/B/192/C: Shares and investments;
CLC/B/192/DA: Administrative records: correspondence;
CLC/B/192/DB: Administrative records: reports / visits;
CLC/B/192/DC: Administrative records: agencies;
CLC/B/192/DD: Administrative records: general;
CLC/B/192/DE: Administrative records: staff;
CLC/B/192/E: Finance;
CLC/B/192/F: Policies;
CLC/B/192/G: Premises and property;
CLC/B/192/H: Other bodies.
In addition, the papers of various subsidiary companies and companies which merged with the Sun Insurance Office or with Sun Alliance are catalogued as CLC/B/192-02 to -37.
Finding aids
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English