Norwich & London Accident Insurance Association

The Norwich & London Accident Insurance Association was established by Charles Rackham Gilman on 1st September 1856, initially with the name of Norwich & London Accident & Casualty Insurance Association. By 1870 the Association was offering insurance "against accidental death with compensation in case of personal injury by accidents of all kinds." The change of name was made in 1875 and the Association started to offer employers liability insurance and, by 1892, had extended its business to include railway accidents, marine accidents and fidelity guarantee insurance.

Some interesting examples of claims paid in 1876:

• "Farmer of Stafford, thorn pierced eye - £600"
• "Surgeon of New Haven, drowned during dark night - £1000"

The Norwich & London Accident Insurance Association was never incorporated or registered and was acquired by the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society in 1909, which is now part of Aviva Insurance UK Ltd., currently the U.K.'s largest insurance and financial services group and the seventh largest insurer in the world.

The Norwich & London Accident Insurance Association did not overprint its stamps with the company name or initials. Instead, a handstamped commercial overprint with the initials "C.R.G." or "C.S.G." was used. These were the initials of the manager at the time.

C. Storey Gilman was manager until 1889. His son Charles Rackham Gilman was the manager from 1889 to 1903. C. Storey Gilman then took over again until 1909.

By Mark Matlach

The Norwich & London Accident Insurance Association appears to have no connection with the Norwich Union Life Insurance Society, a user of commercial overprints from at least World War Two until the early 1960s.