Scottish Post Office Directories

Insurance directory

Capital investments

The information on insurance companies provided in the directories can range from simple lists to extensive advertisements, sometimes covering several pages per company.

Companies would often list their senior staff, describe their areas of coverage and state their capital or annual investments.

From local to national

Insurance companies can range from being very local, such as the Dundee Fire Insurance Company, to covering the entire nation, such as the Standard Life Assurance Company, established in Edinburgh in 1825.

Companies like the North British and Mercantile Insurance Company would have branches not only in Scotland but also in major English cities, as well as in Dublin and Belfast.

Specialists in other fields

Most insurance companies would cover the areas of 'life' and 'fire'. Towards the early 20th century, however, there would also be some that specialised in other fields as well.

Adverts for 'dual purpose' companies such as the Horse, Carriage & General Insurance Company or the Caledonian Plate Glass Insurance Company, for instance, appear in the 'Post-Office Edinburgh and Leith directory' for 1898-1899.

 

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