Our Archive

We can trace our heritage back to 1696. Our business began in an age of highwaymen but is as relevant to customers today as it was then.

Our Archive is the most important insurance industry archive in the United Kingdom.

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It documents our 300+ years of history and holds records for more than 750 companies that have contributed to our heritage.

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Meet the ancestors

For over three hundred years our ancestor companies have adapted to meet customers’ needs, just as we strive to do today.

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Explore our timeline

Our ancestors include the oldest mutual life insurer, one of the oldest fire insurers, the first company to issue a burglary policy, and the first and only insurance company to hold a royal warrant.

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Featured article

Our Anna: “Somebody claimed for a pickled egg that went missing”

Anna Stone, Group Archivist, on keeping people honest by preserving Aviva’s 325-year-old archive. Others describe it as the most important insurance archive in the UK but for Anna, it’s ‘like a third child’.

Read Anna's story

More from the Archive...

The National Archives

Explore our catalogue on The National Archives' Discovery service.

Historypin

Uncover hidden gems from our photograph collection on historypin.

Medium

Read the Archive blog on Medium and unearth some fascinating stories from our past.