Fire marks and Insurance

Following the Great Fire of London, people became increasingly aware of protecting themselves against disaster and finding ways to plan ahead to ensure the large-scale destruction of London didn’t happen in such a way again.  New laws were passed to ensure the future of the metropolis and also to help move an ever-growing city forward into a new generation.   New policies which were passed were concerned with rebuilding, the style of houses, design, construction and layout of the streets but also provision was made in terms of fire fighting for the city.  One new law stated that each quarter of the new city should have 800 leather buckets and 50 ladders available in case of fire.[1]  Each house also had to have buckets available as well. 

In 1667, a notable writer, doctor and economist, Dr Barbon, was heavily involved in the reconstruction of London and also in developing the first formal insurance company. It was called The Insurance Office and was based near the Royal Exchange.[2] Other companies were soon formed such as the Friendly Society and the Hand In Hand Company and every company would have its own firefighting team in order to help protect the properties they insured.  The oldest documented fire insurance company was The Sun Fire insurance company founded around 1710.  They still existand after many permutations are now known as the Royal & Sun Alliance

In the event of a fire, all brigades from the individual insurance companies would rush to the fire in case it was one of their buildings.  If the fire wasn’t in one of their properties then they would either leave or stand and watch.  However, for a fee other companies would put out the fire of a someone who had a different insurance policy and eventually they would also put out fires of non-subscribers as the fire could spread easily to one of their properties on their own insurance policy.

However, this was not a practical situation.  There needed to be a quicker way for companies to know the buildings they represented.  Firemarks were created and issued to all policyholders.  Originally they were made out of tin and would be fixed to the outer wall of the house or under the eaves. As they evolved they were also made of iron, lead and brass and bore the symbol of the insurance company and often a serial number as well. ​

 
The fire marks were used during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries until there the municipal fire brigades were established.

The first company to use the fire mark was The Sun Fire Office and their plaques featured the sun with a face on it.  The Sun Fire Office fire marks can be seen in Montpelier Row still on several of the properties. 

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​By 1825 fire marks were no longer routinely used, many homes left up the marks regardless of whether they subscribed or not and this can be seen in Montpelier Row, Twickenham where several have remained and can still be seen clearly today.  A number of properties still retain their original fire marks which were placed on the front wall, near the eaves or in the centre of the front wall.  On one of the properties  we can see the marks of both the Hand In Hand Insurance Company and the Westminster Insurance Companies. 

Each company had its very own distinctive mark which represented the name of their company.  ​The Westminster Insurance Company always had the distinctive portcullis which is still well known today. 

The Sun Office had the smiling sunny face, sadly no longer in use today as emblems become more digital and graphic. 

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The insurance companies kept very basic details of their policyholders which outlined the property, the items insured and the sums insured for.  Surviving records tell us something about the residents and their status and wealth as well as the value of the house at the time.  The Sun Fire records are held at the London Metropolitan Archives and these provide an sight into the lives of those whose properties were insured as well as their status and wealth.  The homes in Montpelier Row were clearly for the affluent and many of those who lived there at varying stages in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were annuitants, as well as military men, lawyers and merchants.

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The insurance records in some cases are very detailed and outline the items being insured which included the buildings, china, clothing and fabric, printed books and artwork and the sum that each group was insured for as well as a total amount.  However, the records do not always state which number the house was so sometimes some guesswork is required using details and knowledge from other archives.

On 22 May 1763, a house belonging to Thomas Dean, who lived at number 13 Montpelier Row, Twickenham was insured with Sun Life Insurance.[3] He insured his ‘goods and Printed Books in his now Dwelling House only…not exceeding One Hundred and fifty pounds.’[4] He further insured his ‘Wearing Apparell’ for one hundred and fifty pounds as well.

On 21 June 1791 Susannah Course insured her property and its contents also with Sun Life Insurance, the total sum insured was £1200.00 which was equivalent to approximately £67,236 in 2005.[5]  She was clearly a lady of wealth and lived at number 15 (New number 13 - the houses were all renumbered in the early 1880's).  Her insurance policy stated the following:

'Susannah Course no 15 Montpelier Row Twickenham in Middlesex made on her dwelling on her dwelling house, brick and tile situate as aforesaid not exceeding five hundred and ten pounds'[6]

It goes on to list the other goods and buildings which were insured and these included:
Freehold goods - not exceeding £500
Painted books - not exceeding £20
Wearing apparell - not exceeding £40
Plates and cups  - not exceeding £60
China and glass - not exceeding £20
Stable at the bottom of the garden - £25
Coach House - £25

The fire marks and the associated insurance records provide a wonderful little snapshot into the past. Telling us something about the people, the homes, the value of buildings and goods and that insurance policies could be taken out with such little paperwork! 

References
[1] https://www.irmi.com/articles/expert-commentary/the-worlds-first-insurance-company, first accessed 05/06/2017.

[2] https://www.irmi.com/articles/expert-commentary/the-worlds-first-insurance-company, first accessed 05/06/2017.

​[3] Now number 11 Montpelier Row. The Sun Life Insurance record, London Metropolitan Archives, ADD CODE NUMBER

[4] Sun life insurance, London Metropolitan Archives, ADD CODE NUMBER

[5] National Archives Currency Converter from old money to new money, based on rates in 2005. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency/ 

[6] London Metropolitan Archives, Royal Sun Alliance insurance records, Susanna Course, 21 June 1791.