Fire Mark - 32 Delf Street, Sandwich, Kent, UK
Posted by: 
MeerRescue
N 51° 16.543 E 001° 20.283
31U E 384077 N 5681798
A Fire Mark on Blackberry Cottage, 32 Delf Street, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9HB.
Waymark Code: WMEA60
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/25/2012
Views: 2
A Fire Mark affixed to the Grade II listed Blackberry
Cottage in the Sandwich Conservation Area, Delf Street Sandwich, Kent. This particular
Fire Mark was issued by the Royal Insurance Company (1845-1997)
Before the advent of town or county Fire Brigades, a
number of Insurance companies identified properties covered by their policies by
way of a Fire Mark. This identified the property and listed an insurance policy
number to their voluntary fire brigade and representatives. By the early 19th
century, with more towns providing a public fire brigade service, Fire Marks
declined, although they were still used as an advertising feature, and many of
the later Fire Marks seen have no policy number shown.
The Royal Insurance Company was founded in Liverpool on
May 31st 1845 to provide insurance cover, "....against the risk of loss or
damage by fire or by storm or by other casualty..."The capital of the company in
1845 was £2 million, divided into 100,000 shares of £20. It was led by Percy
Dove, who had joined the company from the start from the Royal Exchange
Assurance company.