Insurance Fire Brigades

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!

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"