Catalogue description Material relating to ELAC Insurance Company Ltd. formerly Employers Liability Assurance Corporation

ELAC Insurance Company Ltd.

Incorporated on 25 October 1880 the company became a subsidiary to the Northern Assurance Ltd. in 1960 which was itself merged with Commercial Union Assurance Company Ltd. in 1968. The corporation sold all business except that in the United States and changed its name to ELAC Insurance Company Ltd. before being wound up in 1980.

Constituent, subsidiary, allied companies
National Employers' and General Accident Assurance Association (liability business) (1882 - 1884)
The Merchant's Marine Insurance Company Ltd. (1871- 1919)
Clerical Medical and General Life Assurance Society (1824, allied 1920 - 1961)
Employers' Fire Insurance Company (1921)
American Employers' Insurance Company (1923)
The Halifax Insurance Company of Massachusetts ( - 1954)

Business
Established to offer employers' liability and general accident insurance in the United Kingdom. The foundation of the corporation was the result of a conversation between Leopold Salomons and Samuel Watson of the firm of solicitors Watson, Sons & Room concerning the Employers' Liability Act which was at that time before parliament. Prior to this act an employee was not able to claim for compensation if he was injured at work, except in cases of undisputed negligence. This led to instances where a member of the public would be able to claim for injuries sustained in a railway accident but an employee of the railway company travelling on the same train going about his private business would not. The Employers' Liability was the first company set up to offer this kind of insurance allowing both the employer and employee peace of mind, as set out in its first prospectus "the establishment of this company will enable employers to dispense with the necessity of endeavouring to arrange with their workmen to contract themselves out of the act and, by offering insurance facilities to both masters and men, will solve a question which has already caused a certain amount of ill-feeling between them." The corporation's first policy was issued to Frederick Parke of the Withnell Fire Clay Works near Chorley Lancashire on 12 May 1881.

Having entered the fire-reinsurance business in 1885 and withdrawn after only 6 years the corporation re entered fire business in 1907, appointing Mr T E Keysell manager of the fire department. By 1913 business had expanded again to include plate glass, burglary, motor car, and property owners' insurance. In 1917 the company began to transact marine insurance expanding its marine business in 1919 with the acquisition of Merchant's Marine Insurance Company. Also in 1919 the company acquired a license to transact life assurance business but the acquisition the following year of the shares of Clerical Medical and General Life Assurance Society meant that it no longer needed to pursue life assurance on its own account and the two companies worked in association until 1961 when Clerical Medical was mutualised.

Staff/officials
Company secretary
Stanley Brown (1880 - 1908) secretary at Commercial Union 1874 - 1880 later President of the Insurance Institute and instrumental in its acquisition of Chartered status
William E Gray (1908 - 1920)
W J Ralph (1920 - 1931)
E F Lewis (1931 - 1946)
A E Gover (1946 - 1965)
D A Mills ( 1965 - 1968)
H T Frost (1968 - 1969 at least)

General manager
Stanley Brown (April 1881 - December 1911) (also secretary)
William E. Gray (December 1911 - 1931)
T E Keysell and William J Ralph (1931 - 1933) (joint general managers)
R J Crowe and S H Palmer (1933 - - 1935) (title now just manager)
RJ Crowe (1935 - 1949) (from 1946 title changed to general manager)
The Viscount Knollys (1949 - 1954) (title now managing director)
C E Keysell (1954 - 1968) (title returns to general manager)

Head office premises - London
5 Lothbury (1880 - 1881)
84 - 85 King William Street (1881 - 1901)
Hamilton House, on Victoria Embankment (1901 - 1967) designed by Mr W Emerson.
Christchurch Place, Epsom (war time evacuation)
1 Moorgate (1967 - 1968)
24 Cornhill (1968 - 1969)
St Helen's, 1 Undershaft (1969 -)

Operations in America started in 1886 when an office was opened in Boston under Mssrs Endicott & Macomber. The introduction of this class of insurance into America was ambitious as there was no employers liability act in the States until Massachusetts adopted one in 1887. The first US offices were on State Street Boston and were staffed by Mr Endicott, Mr Macomber, Mr W R Freethy and Mr Moon who had previously worked for the London Office. By 1905 the offices had moved Kilby Street and in that year they moved again to offices on Broad and Water Streets. In 1924 the company moved again into a new building in Liberty Square Boston named the Samuel Appleton building after the then US Manager who had replaced Mr Endecott in 1898. The American branch undertook elevator insurance in 1888, public liability insurance in 1889, general liability in 1890 and fidelity and vehicle insurance in 1891. The logo of the company in America was an Owl with the slogan "service that satisfies" and the American branch, like the parent company, prided itself on being known for straightforward dealing and prompt and liberal settlement of claims. In 1921 an American subsidiary was established, the Employers' Fire Insurance Company, because in some states an accident company was not allowed to offer fire insurance. Similarly, to circumvent a law preventing English companies from writing bonds another subsidiary, American Employers' Insurance Company, was established in 1923. In 1928 it was necessary for the parent company to transfer ownership of these two subsidiaries to the Employers' Group Associates a voluntary association formed for this purpose.

Published History: The Employers' Liability Assurance Corporation Ltd Jubilee, 1930 by Sir Harry Perry Robinson, London 1930.