The following is the text of a news item about the London Archive Users'
Forum's 'Place in the Sun' indexing project. It will shortly be available in
hard copy from Guildhall Library (contact details follow):
"‘A Place in the Sun’
Bulletin no.7
Spring 2005
*55 catalogues, 95,000 insurance policies, and counting*
Since February 2004 the Place in the Sun index has been available online on
the Access to Archives (A2A) internet database, providing an index to
details of insurance policies contained in early 19th century policy
registers compiled by the Sun Fire Office. Most of these relate to London
property, though entries for property throughout England, Scotland or Wales
can also be found.
In March 2005 a substantial further batch of catalogues went online, taking
to 55 the total of policy registers now with searchable indexes. They
contain details of 95,400 insurance policies for the period 1816-1831. A
further ten catalogues, extending to 1834, are in the final stages of
preparation for launch in mid-2005.
You can search the database by keywords such as the names of people,
businesses and institutions, street names, place names, and occupations. To
use the database, go to www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a, click ‘Search the
database’, choose ‘Guildhall Library’ from the Location of Archives
drop-down menu, and enter your search term. Alternatively, you can enter it
on the ‘Extended Search’ menu if you select ‘A Place in the Sun’ as the A2A
theme.
Guidance on using the index is at www.history.ac.uk/gh/sun.htm. Numbered
insurance policies identified through the index can be ordered from, or
consulted at, Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section
([log in to unmask], telephone 020 7332 1863).
The Sun policy registers offer an unparalleled source for details of the
business, family and social history of the times they cover. Funding from
the Heritage Lottery Fund supported the first phase of the project, which
has continued with funding from Awards for All and the National Council on
Archives, and now from Guildhall Library.
Volunteers are now indexing further registers for dates before 1815 and
after 1834. Further information about the project can be obtained by
contacting the Project Manager, Brenda Griffith-Williams
([log in to unmask], telephone 07952 418342). If
you would like to get involved in the project as a volunteer, you would be
very welcome. Please contact Brenda as above for details."
LAUF is grateful to the team of volunteers, and all who have offered support
moral, financial or practical to the project.
Isobel Watson
Project co-ordinator
LAUF
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