Ocean Marine Insurance Company Ltd
Ocean Marine was established under deed of settlement on November 29 1859 as "The Ocean" Marine Insurance Company. On February 26 1884, the company was incorporated as the Ocean Marine Insurance Company Ltd.
Company History
Ocean Marine Insurance Company policy header
Ocean Marine Insurance Company policy
Between 1864 and 1885 the company took on the management of business for the Union Marine Insurance Company Ltd. The company was liquidated in 1888 and a new company was incorporated in July of the same year to allow for the acquisition of the City of London Marine Insurance Corporation.
In 1908, Ocean Marine became a subsidiary of the North British & Mercantile Insurance Company, which itself became a subsidiary of the Commercial Union Assurance Company Ltd in 1959.
From January 1 1976, the company's marine and transport insurance business was wholly reinsured with Commercial Union. On December 31 1981, the company was re-registered as a private company.
Key dates
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1859 | The company is established |
| 1884 | The company is incorporated as the Ocean Marine Insurance Company Ltd |
| 1888 | Ocean Marine is liquidated and a new company is incorporated to allow for the acquisition of the City of London Marine Insurance Corporation |
| 1908 | The company becomes a subsidiary of the North British & Mercantile Insurance Company |
| 1959 | North British & Mercantile becomes a subsidiary of the Commercial Union Assurance Company |
| 1981 | The company is re-registered as a private company |
Subsidiaries and constituents*
| Year | Company name |
|---|---|
| 1881 - 1888 | City of London Marine Insurance Corporation Ltd |
| 1868 - 1892 | Northern Marine |
| 1882 - 1897 | National Marine Insurance Association Ltd |
| 1909 | New Zealand Plate Glass Company |
| 1877 - 2005 | Scottish Insurance Corporation Ltd (general business)(transferred from fellow Aviva subsidiary) |
* 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
| Year | Address |
|---|---|
| 1859 - 1859 | 2 Austin Friars, Old Broad Street, London |
| 1859 - 1862 | 58 Threadneedle Street, London |
| 1862 - 1917 | 2&3 Old Broad Street, London (site acquired 1861) |
| 1917 - 1928 | 2 Old Broad Street, London |
| 1928 - 1930 | 48 Lime Street, London |
| 1930 - 1971 | 37 Lime Street, London |
| 1971 - 1975 | 4 Fenchurch Avenue, London |
| 1975 - 2007 | St Helens, 1 Undershaft, London |
Staff and officials
Secretary
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1859 - 1861 | Mr Sleigh |
| 1861 - 1876 | H S Smyth |
| 1876 - 1908 | A Price |
| 1908 - 1925 | H T Russell Ross |
| 1925 - 1935 | R Borrow |
| 1935 - 1946 | H S J Arnaud |
| 1946 - 1962 | L W Robinson |
| 1962 - 1966 | E A Dew |
| 1966 - 1972 | H T Frost |
| 1972 - 1977 | D R Cobden |
| 1977 - 1985 at least | G T Spratt |
Underwriter
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1861 - 1888 | Frederick Harford |
| 1888 - 1913 | Philip Secretan |
| 1913 - 1920 | Edward Mapleton Shepherd (had worked in the department since at least 1894) |
| 1920 - 1925 | C B Griggs (had worked in the department since at least 1894) |
| 1925 - 1943 | H T Russell Ross (joint from 1942) |
| 1942 - 1943 | C M Reddie (joint Underwriter) |
| 1943 - 1962 | A W Theobald (joint to December 1943) |
| 1962 - 1973 | S J Charlton |
| by 1978 - | M J White |
| by 1982 - 1985 at least | S Russell Ross |
Manager (first mentioned 1919)
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1919 - 1936 | Arthur Worley (Knighted by 1921) |
| 1937 - 1947 | H S Milligan |
| 1947 - 1950 | Sir Thomas Frazer |
| 1950 - 1955 | Thomas Lansdowne |
| 1955 - 1962 at least | R G Harman |
| Position not listed after 1962 | |
Directors (1859)
- Charles Bell
- John W Cater
- Henry McChlery
- Edward Cohen
- Sir Samuel Cunard (founder of the Cunard line of steamships)
- Pascoe C Glyn
- Frederick W Janvrin
- Adolphus Klockmann
- John Lambert
- John Mollett
- J S Morgan
- Frederic Somes
Overseas branches and agencies
- New York, United States (1876)
- Netherlands (1885)
- Adelaide, Australia (by 1890)
- California, United States (by 1890)
- Antwerp, Belgium (1903)
- Japan (1907)
- Russia (1913)
In the archives
The Aviva archive contains records relating to the running of the Ocean Marine Insurance Company between 1862 and 1997. The collection includes journals, product literature, board of trade returns, board minutes, committee minutes, ledgers, registers of shareholders, annual report and accounts, powers of attorney, proposal forms, policies and branded items.
Other resources
Further records related to Ocean Marine can be accessed through the Guildhall Library.
