Hand in Hand Fire & Life Insurance Society
Encyclopedia
The Hand in Hand Fire & Life Insurance Society was one of the oldest British
insurance
companies.
The company was founded in 1696 at Tom's Coffee House in St. Martin's Lane
in London
. It was one of three fire insurance companies started after the Great Fire of London
, and it was initially called the Contributors for Insuring Houses, Chambers or Rooms from Loss by Fire, by Amicable Contribution. Less than thirty years later the other two insurers had failed, and the Hand in Hand was left as the oldest fire insurance company in the world. It was structured as a mutual society, and for 135 years it operated its own fire brigade and played an important part in shaping fire fighting and prevention.
In 1905, the Hand in Hand was acquired by the Commercial Union Group
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
companies.
The company was founded in 1696 at Tom's Coffee House in St. Martin's Lane
St. Martin's Lane
St. Martin's Lane is a street on the edge of Covent Garden in Central London, which runs from the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, after which it is named, near Trafalgar Square northwards to Long Acre.A narrow street with relatively little traffic, St...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was one of three fire insurance companies started after the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
, and it was initially called the Contributors for Insuring Houses, Chambers or Rooms from Loss by Fire, by Amicable Contribution. Less than thirty years later the other two insurers had failed, and the Hand in Hand was left as the oldest fire insurance company in the world. It was structured as a mutual society, and for 135 years it operated its own fire brigade and played an important part in shaping fire fighting and prevention.
CGU plc
CGU plc was a large insurance group, created by the merger of Commercial Union and General Accident. The Company was listed on the London Stock Exchange.- History :...
.