Record #00310Economy archive
Oldest Continuously Operating Insurance Company Lineage
Aviva traces its earliest insurance predecessor to Hand in Hand, founded in London on 12 November 1696; the Insurance Information Institute describes this lineage as that of the oldest continuously operating insurance company.
ARCHIVE VISUAL / 01
NOT TO SCALE
Achievement date
1696
1696-11-12
- Achiever
- Aviva plc
- Location
- St Martin's Lane, London, United Kingdom
- Record status
- VerifiedReport an issue
Verification basis and limitations
VerifiedThe record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Verification explanation pending
- Last editorial review
- 2026-11-04
Current Entry identifies the current entry in this archive; it does not establish that the record is still held today.
Overview
Archive NoteHand in Hand began as a mutual fire insurance society at Tom's Coffee House on St Martin's Lane in London in 1696. It later employed its own fire brigade.
Commercial Union acquired Hand in Hand in 1905; further mergers ultimately incorporated that institutional lineage into Aviva. The date 1696 refers to a predecessor, not to the creation of the modern Aviva company.
Record history
1 Milestones- First achievementAviva plcSt Martin's Lane, London, United KingdomFirst achievement
Sources
Evidence & ReferencesThe record value on this page is organized from the public sources above. Measurement methods may differ; JiLuDB follows the unified method described for each entry.
Public feedbackFound a data issue?If a fact has changed, the data is incorrect, or you know a more authoritative source, submit feedback.Submit feedback
Help keep the archive accurate
If a fact has changed, a value is incorrect, or you know a more authoritative source, leave a note. Feedback enters an administrator review workflow and never edits a record directly.