The City of Glasgow Life Assurance Company
Established on January 2 1839 as the City of Glasgow Life Assurance and Reversionary Company, the company was constituted under an act of parliament on June 18 1842. The company was renamed The City of Glasgow Life Assurance Company following a further act of parliament on July 11 1861.
Company History
City of Glasgow Life Assurance Company prospectus
City of Glasgow Life Assurance Company prospectus
The company's original objectives were
"Assurances on Lives and Survivorships; and for The Sale of Present, Deferred and Survivorship Annuities, and Endowments to Children".
The 1839 prospectus stated that the company would offer two plans, the first aimed at those who intended to make provision for their families and the second for those requiring assurance in connection with loans or to secure a debt.
In 1861, along with the change of name, the company's powers were extended to allow business to be undertaken in
"the East Indies, in her majesty's Colonies and Dependencies abroad, and in Foreign Countries and States".
By 1900, the company was offering a combined investment, pension and insurance policy, a partnership assurance and policies to
"Provide School Fees for our Children, Marriage Settlements for Daughters, Capital for Our Sons".
In March 1913, the business, goodwill, name, rights and all other assets were transferred to the Scottish Union and National Insurance Company. The company was incorporated as an unlimited company on May 12 1913 and was liquidated in November of the same year. From 1914, the name of the company continued as the "City of Glasgow Life Branch" of the Scottish Union and National.
Scottish Union and National was acquired by the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society in 1959.
Key dates
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1839 | The company is established |
| 1861 | Name changes to The City of Glasgow Life Assurance Company |
| 1913 | The business, goodwill, name, rights and all other assets are transferred to the Scottish Union and National Insurance Company |
| 1959 | Scottish Union and National is acquired by the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society |
Did you know...?
- In 1843, the company motto was
"Let Glasgow Flourish".
- By 1901, the motto had changed to
"Absolute Security; Moderate Premiums; World Wide Policies".
Subsidiaries and constituents*
| Year | Company name |
|---|---|
| 1837 - 1847 | Mutual Accumulation Life |
* Please note the first date given is the date of the establishment of the company and the second date is the date the company was acquired or became a subsidiary. Where only one date is given the company was established as a subsidiary of the parent company. Where one date is preceded by a hyphen the date of the establishment of the company is not known.
Head office premises
Glasgow
| Year | Address |
|---|---|
| 1838 - 1840 | 110, Buchanan Street |
| 1840 - 1870 at least |
40, St Vincent Place |
| by 1872 - 1890 | 28a Renfield Street |
| 1890 - 1913 | 30 Renfield Street |
London
| Year | Address |
|---|---|
| by 1846 - 1850 at least | 120 Pall Mall |
| by 1855 - 1913 | 12 King William Street |
Staff and officials
Manager
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| by 1846 - 1861 at least |
Daniel Walkinshaw |
| by 1870 - c1876 | A H Turnbull (also actuary) |
| c1876 - 1899 | Frederick F Elederton |
| 1899 - 1913 | William Smith Nicol (general manager) |
Actuary
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1838 - 1861 at least |
Archibald Borthwick |
| by 1870 - 1873 at least |
A H Turnbull (also manager) |
| 1879 - 1889 | J J W Deuchar (assistant actuary) |
| 1889 - 1913 | John Stewart |
Secretary
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1860 - 1890 | George Gray |
| 1899 - 1900 | William Smith Nicol (also manager, later liquidator) |
| 1900 - 1913 | William King |
Directors (1838)
- Henry Dunlop
- John Leadbetter
- Henry Broke
- James Browne
- William Whyte
- Robert Cowan
- John Fleming
- Alexander Johnston
- Alexander Fletcher
- James Lumsden
- Alexander MacDowall
- George Douglas
Homes branches and agencies
Branches
- Edinburgh (1838)
- London (by 1840)
- Liverpool (by 1840)
- Manchester (by 1840)
- Birmingham (by 1889)
- Newcastle-on-Tyne. (by 1889)
- Bradford (by 1899)
- Leeds (1900)
- Nottingham (by 1907)
- Bristol (1903)
- Aberdeen (1903)
Agencies
- Aberdeen (by 1840)
- Dundee (by 1840)
- Nairn (by 1840)
- Paisley (by 1840)
- Perth (by 1840)
- Saltcoats (by 1840)
- Auchtermuchty (by 1844)
- Hull (by 1844)
Overseas branches and agencies
- Dublin, Ireland (1844)
- Calcutta, India (1891; branch by 1899)
- Limerick and Londonderry, Ireland and Northern Ireland (branches opened in 1904)
In the archives
The Aviva archive contains records relating to the running of the City of Glasgow Life Assurance Company between 1877 and 1913. The collection includes cancelled policies, annual reports and accounts, prospectuses, dinner menus, private minute book, policies, certificates of incorporation, endorsement records, board of trade returns and acts of parliament.
