Watermen who were employed on firefighting duties were
protected from the press gangs
The firemark would indicate
which insurance company held the fire insurance cover
There were many different
types of firemark
To allow property to burn
down because it didn't bear your fire mark often resulted
in the fire spreading to property
that did!
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Following
the Great Fire of London the first fire insurance company ‘The
Fire Office’ was established in 1667.
The office employed a small group
of Thames watermen as firefighters. They were given
distinct uniforms and provided with arm badges showing
the company to which they belonged. It is significant
that watermen were chosen as the type of people required
to be firefighters as they were respected for their
skill, courage and vigour when dealing with river barges
and their cargo
For a short time The Fire Office
dominated the insurance world. It originally started
its own fire brigade to avoid heavy losses among its
insurance risks and as an incentive to potential customers.
However, when the company would only attend fires in
buildings that were insured by them, or when the fire
was likely to spread to such property, competitors soon
appeared. Business was very good and all the new companies
formed large fire brigades. Unfortunately, they were
all in competition with one another.
There was no lack of recruits to these new fire brigades.
Generous part-time pay and the magnificent uniforms were
great incentives. More importantly perhaps, all watermen
who were employed on firefighting duties were protected
from the press gangs that roamed along the riversides conscripting
men for service in the Royal Navy.
A common factor of all the insurance company uniforms
was the company badge. This was always worn high up on
the left arm and was the same design as the company fire
mark.
A fire mark was a badge that was usually placed on the
front of a building above the main door. This would indicate
which insurance company held the fire insurance cover.
If a fire occurred the fire mark would immediately identify
which particular insurance fire brigade was needed. Quite
often, if the building did not have their particular fire
mark, a fire brigade would simply return to their station
or perhaps remain to jeer and throw insults at a rival
fire brigade. More often than not a fight would break out.
It was not an uncommon sight to see two or three rival
insurance fire brigades fighting tooth and nail while a
building quietly burned down.
Early
in the 18th century common sense prevailed. To allow
property to burn down because it didn’t bear your
fire mark often resulted in the fire spreading to property
that did, and the houses of the poor were never likely
to be insured. Fire insurance companies finally agreed
to co-operate at fires regardless of whom they were insured
with and the homes of the poor were dealt with out of charity,
and of course, for the good publicity it brought the company.
Therefore, through keen competition the insurance companies
provided the public service of firefighting. The council
and parish fire engines fell into disrepute. Their fire
crews were unskilled, untrained and badly equipped and
were no match for the insurance company fire brigades who
remained at the forefront of firefighting until the 19th
century.
"Insurance company fire brigades
remained at the forefront of firefighting until the 19th
century"
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