Hibernian Plate Glass Insurance Company Ltd
The Hibernian Plate Glass Insurance Company was established on July 19 1875 and registered four days later. In 1908, the company was acquired by the Yorkshire Insurance Company Ltd. In 1919, the company’s business was merged with the Celtic Insurance Company Ltd, a subsidiary of the Yorkshire. The Yorkshire was acquired by the General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corporation in 1967.
Company History
Hibernian PlateGlass letter
Hibernian Plate Glass Header, 1908
Hibernian Plate Glass Prospectus, 1908
Established by a group of Dublin merchants for the insurance of glass in Ireland, by 1908 it was the oldest plate glass insurance company in Ireland. An advertisement for that year stated that the company replaced glass broken through,
"repairing streets and footpaths, window cords snapping, drunken men falling, malicious breakages, putting up shutters, cleaning windows, dressing windows, ladders slipping, runaway horses, stone throwing, door slamming, slates falling, loading vans, street row, servants, thieves, storm".
After acquiring the company, the Yorkshire planned to keep the business and use the Hibernian name to expand into more general insurance in Ireland. However, the Hibernian Fire & General Insurance Company Ltd, later part of the Commercial Union Assurance Company Ltd, was established before the acquisition was completed so the company was prevented from using the name for general business.
Key dates
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1875 | The company is established |
| 1908 | The company is acquired by the Yorkshire Insurance Company |
| 1919 | Business is merged with the Celtic Insurance Company |
| 1967 | The Yorkshire is acquired by the General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corporation |
Head office premises
| Year | Address |
|---|---|
| by 1884 - 1886 at least | 1 Foster Place, Dublin |
| by 1908 - 1909 | Exchequer Chambers, Exchequer Street, Dublin |
| by 1911 - 1919 | Yorkshire Chambers, 3 College Green, Dublin |
Staff and officials
Manager
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| by 1907 | Leonard Hodges |
Secretary
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1908 - 1919 | Leopold H Hallowes |
Directors (1875)
- John Sibthorpe
- Thomas Dockrell
- John Brooks
- Thomas Drumm
- William Martin
- John Payne
In the archive
The Aviva archive contains records relating to the running of the Hibernian Plate Glass Insurance Company from 1907 to 1915. The collection includes acquisition material, copy articles of association, returns to Companies House, specimen policies and proposals and correspondence.
