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London Metropolitan Archives

NATIONAL MUTUAL LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0074 CLC/B/166

Held at: London Metropolitan Archives

Title: NATIONAL MUTUAL LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY

Date(s): 1830-2000

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 457 production units.

Name of creator(s): National Mutual Life Assurance Society

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The National Life Assurance Society was formed at a meeting of prospective shareholders on 31 December 1829, and became a mutual in 1847. It established agencies internationally, as well as acquiring many from the takeover of the Whittington in 1894. It premises were at 2 King William Street. Whittington Life Assurance Company was taken over by the National Life Assurance Society in 1894 after 3 years of negotiations.

The Mutual Life Assurance Society was founded in 1834 by the brothers James and William Burchell, and originally based at 37 Old Jewry. In 1848 it moved to 39 King Street, and expanded into no. 38 in 1859, new premises being built on the site.

The National Mutual Life Assurance Society was established by the merger of the National and the Mutual Life Assurance Societies in 1896, and was based at the Mutual's offices at 39 King Street (rebuilt in 1936) until its move to larger premises at Bow Churchyard in 1960.

From 1921-38 its chairman was the economist John Maynard Keynes, some of whose papers survive in the collection (his speeches to the AGM, which became City events, have been published in the Collected Writings of John Maynard Keynes, vol.XII, ed D Moggridge, London 1981; they were also reproduced in The Times). During World War II the head office was located at Stanmore. The firm was taken over by General Electric in 2002.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the National Mutual Life Assurance Society and predecessors the National Life Assurance Society and the Mutual Life Assurance Society. The records include constitutional documents, minutes, annual reports and accounts, seal books, reports, policy records and other administrative papers.

24 hours notice is required for access to this material. The records are subject to a 30 year rule: the permission of the depositor is required for access to material less than 30 years old (ask a member of staff for further information).

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

The collection has been arranged in sub-fonds as follows:
CLC/B/166-01: National Mutual Life Assurance Society;
CLC/B/166-02: National Life Assurance Society;
CLC/B/166-03: Mutual Life Assurance Society;
CLC/B/166-04: Whittington Life Assurance Company.

Conditions governing access:

Access by appointment only. Please contact staff.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Records given to Guildhall Library in 2002. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Publication note:

For further information, see The History of the National Mutual Life Assurance Society 1830-1930, by R Finch, London, 1930 and The History of the National Mutual Life Assurance Society, 1830-1980, by E Street, London, 1980.

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: January to May 2011.


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Assurance companies | Companies | Enterprises
Business records | Documents | Information sources
Insurance records | Documents | Information sources
Insurance services | Financial service industries | Service industries
Life insurance | Insurance | Finance

Personal names

Corporate names
Mutual Life Assurance Society
National Life Assurance Society
National Mutual Life Assurance Society
Whittington Life Assurance Co

Places
UK | Western Europe | Europe