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Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd

This page summarises records created by this Business

The summary includes a brief description of the collection(s) (usually including the covering dates of the collection), the name of the archive where they are held, and reference information to help you find the collection.

Alternative name(s):
  • Commercial Union Assurance Company plc (Later known as)
  • CGU International Insurance plc (Later known as)
  • CGNU International Insurance plc (Later known as)
  • Aviva International Assurance Ltd (Later known as)
Date: 1861-
History: The company was established under a deed of settlement dated 28 September 1861 as Commercial Union Assurance Company. It was registered on 28 October 1862 as Commercial Union Assurance Company and was incorporated on 8 August 1885 as Commercial Union Assurance Company Ltd., company number 21487. On 4 January 1982 the company changed its name to Commercial Union Assurance Company plc. On 25 February 1998 the holding company Commercial Union plc announced that it was merging with General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation plc and on 1 October 1999 the company’s name changed again to CGU International Insurance plc a subsidiary of the new holding company CGU plc. On 21 February 2000 CGU plc announced that it was merging with Norwich Union plc to form CGNU plc which was re-branded in July 2002 as Aviva plc. On 1 September 2006 CGU International Insurance plc changed its name again to Aviva International Assurance Ltd.

The company was established in response to premium increases following the great Tooley Street fire of June 1861 which raged for nearly two days having started in a London hemp warehouse and was not fully extinguished for a fortnight. It was provisionally called Commercial Union Fire Insurance Company and established temporary offices at 34 Gracechurch Street, London.

The company first transacted fire insurance adding life assurance in 1862 and marine in 1863. By 1862 it was also offering fire insurance overseas. The first major loss faced by the company was under a policy taken out by George Dowlers a Brass founder of Birmingham in 1862. In 1900 it commenced burglary and accident insurance followed in 1901 by plate glass and 1905 by trustee and executor business.

Places:
  • London
Functions, occupations and activities: Insurance > Insurance companies
Name authority reference: GB/NNAF/C104117 (Former ISAAR ref: GB/NNAF/B12582 )
Collections
Number Description Held by Reference Further information
1
1904-2005: corporate records, shareholder records and records rel to marketing and legal departments
Aviva Group Archive
See HAL Cockerell & E Green, The British Insurance Business 1994
2
1701-1962: minutes, ledgers, insurance registers, records of subsidiary and predecessor companies
London Metropolitan Archives: City of London
See HAL Cockerell & E Green, The British Insurance Business 1994
Related record creators
  Record creator Description of relationship Dates Category of relationship
1
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
2
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
3
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
4
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
5
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
6
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
7
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
8
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
9
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
10
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
11
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
12
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
13
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
14
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
15
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
16
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
17
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
18
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
19
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
20
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
21
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
22
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
23
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
24
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
25
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
26
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
27
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative
28
Subsidiary and/or constituent of Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd
Associative