Research Visit to the London Metropolitan Archives
By Vanessa Gellett, Paper & Print project research volunteer
Tucked away in Clerkenwell about 10 minutes’ walk from Farringdon Tube are the London Metropolitan Archives, home to many of the City of London’s historical records including those of the Sun Fire Office.
Founded in 1790 as an early insurer, the Sun Fire Office evolved over time to become a market leader and the household name, Royal and Sun Alliance (now RSA).
Early Exeter newspaper reports reveal that the paper mills had a habit of catching fire, with devastating consequences for both mill owner and workers. A trawl of the archive’s online catalogue suggested that some mill owners insured against this risk with the Sun Fire Office.
As only brief details are revealed by the online catalogue, the hope was that a visit would provide more information as to the premises that were insured by the mill owner and for how much.
The first document viewed was a ledger recording insurance policies taken out in late 1836. This contained several entries of interest including one for Higher Kensham Mill on the River Culm near Bradninch. This mill was apparently insured then for £2,550, with the water wheels, gears and other machinery accounting for £600 of that sum and being the most valuable item covered. Interesting also, was the mention that all the buildings were thatched unless otherwise stated (1)!
(1) London Metropolitan Archives, City of London, CLC/B/192/F/001/MS11936/557, policy numbers 1234874 and 1234875, from the collection of the Sun Insurance Office Limited.
Another entry confirmed that the same mill owner insured his stock held in warehouse premises at Toppings Lower Wharf, Tooley Street, London, for £200 (2).
(2) London Metropolitan Archives, City of London, CLC/B/192/F/001/MS11936/560, policy number 1286038, from the collection of the Sun Insurance Office Limited
(3) London Metropolitan Archives, City of London, CLC/B/192/F/001/MS11936/568, policy number 1315232, from the collection of the Sun Insurance Office Limited
watermark images:
(4) London Metropolitan Archives, City of London, CLC/B/192/F/001/MS11936/557, from the collection of the Sun Insurance Office Limited
(5) London Metropolitan Archives, City of London, CLC/B/192/F/001/MS11936/557, from the collection of the Sun Insurance Office Limited
A bonus was that some of the ledgers contained blank pages with clearly visible watermarks. Disappointingly, this paper was not made in Exeter as the watermarks were attributable to Kent papermakers, J Whatman of Turkey Mill and G Wilmot of Shoreham Mill (3).
All in all, a useful day shedding more light on paper making in Exeter in the 19th century.