The first output of the London Archive Users’ Forum’s ‘Place in the Sun’
indexing project has now been posted on the web on the Access to Archives
(A2A) website www.a2a.org.uk. This represents 53, 697 policies from 30
policy registers of the Sun Fire Insurance office from 1816 – 1824. The
index comprises the name of insured, address of insured, occupation or
status of insured, and location of property insured (whether land or
chattels). Other names and occupations of individuals, premises and
businesses mentioned in the registers are also captured in the index.
For the period in question most of the people are London residents and the
places London places, but there are exceptions.
A team of volunteers, led by project manager Susan Sneddon, has worked on
the registers since January 2003. To date they have completed the indexing
of 38 registers, with more in preparation. Funding from the Heritage Lottery
Fund, Guildhall Library, Access to Archives, LAUF and the North West Kent
Family History Society has supported the first 15 months of the project.
LAUF has also succeeded in securing funding from Guildhall Library and
Awards for All to support the project to continue to March 2005.
The Sun policy registers offer an unparalleled source for details of the
business, family and social history of the times they cover. From our
initial stopping point of 1824, we are continuing forwards in time to 1830.
The period is one where records are especially valuable for family
historians, there is an unbroken run of London-centred volumes, and
Guildhall Library has an excellent series of London street maps (by Robert
Horwood). We hope that the project will result in over 50 registers being
indexed – nearly one sixth of the total of surviving Sun policy registers
for London.
The index can be found at www.a2a.org.uk (once you have entered a search
term, choose ‘Guildhall Library’ from the Location of Archives menu; or
choose the theme ‘A Place in the Sun’ on the Extended Search screen).
Detailed instructions on using the index are available at
www.history.ac.uk/gh/lfguide.htm. Once found through the index, a copy of a
register entry can be obtained from Guildhall Library Manuscripts section
(follow links from either the above site or A2A).
Further information about the project can be obtained by contacting the
Project Manager at [log in to unmask], or by leaving a telephone message
on 07939 178246. If you would like to get involved in the project as a
volunteer, you would be very welcome. Please contact Susan as above for
details.
Isobel Watson
Project co-ordinator
London Archive Users’ Forum
www.londonarchiveusers.org.uk
_________________________________________________________________
It's fast, it's easy and it's free. Get MSN Messenger today!
http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger
|