Our history

Our rich and fascinating history dates back three centuries. When Sun Fire Insurance was originally founded in 1710, Queen Anne sat on the throne. English troops marched in to occupy Nova Scotia and copyright law was first established. RSA became a leading insurer, from the 18th-Century enlightenment to the scientific findings of the 19th and 20th centuries. Our extensive records, now stored in underground archives, have also made RSA a key witness to major historical events.

These diligently created records show the changing face of our communities and culture. We aim to create a portal for reflection and understanding of the impact of insurance on all our lives. Here, we showcase a tiny fraction of the records we hold and we’re excited to unearth more hidden gems.

Take a walk-through time to explore historic events and to celebrate the achievements of past RSA workers. We have articles, artefacts and intriguing photographs from a bygone age. Your story can become part of RSA today.

Understanding our history image with compass maps in sepia background.

Understanding our history

Our rich history in insurance spans well over three hundred years. While there are many aspects of this legacy we take pride in, there are also elements of our history that conflict with the values we uphold today. Through research in our archives, we’ve begun to comprehend our business’s connections with the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
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1710: Our founder, Charles Povey, established The Sun Fire Office

1720: London Assurance was founded

1782: Phoenix Assurance was established

1824: Sir Moses Montefiore and Nathan Rothschild established The Alliance Assurance Company on 23 March

1836: Liverpool and London Globe was established

1845: Royal Insurance in Liverpool was founded by a group of merchants and businessmen

1861: London and Lancashire Fire was founded

1869: The first woman employee who worked at one of our companies (Royal Insurance), her name was Sarah Harrison and she worked as a clerk

1870s to early 1900s: Royal Insurance insured the Football League and other sports like golf, hockey, hunting, rifle shooting and lacrosse

1900: The first female employee employed at the Liverpool office of Thames and Mersey Insurance was Miss Margaret Isaac. Thames & Mersey became part of Royal Insurance

1909: The Directors of British & Foreign Marine Insurance agreed to introduce a scheme to allow members of staff a day off on one Saturday in every three Saturdays. The full 48-hour weekend was not fully established until the 1930s

1914 to 1918: World War I started on 28 July 1914, and during this devasting war, we lost 469 colleagues

1919: Liverpool and London Globe merged with Royal Insurance

1939 to 1945: On 3 September 1939, Great Britain declared war on Germany. During the conflict, we lost 350 employees in battle and at home. Casualties included two sisters, Evelyn and Winifred Maddock, both employed in the Liverpool office of Royal Insurance who died in 1941 during the Merseyside Blitz

1959: The Sun Insurance Office merged with The Alliance Assurance Company to form Sun Alliance Insurance Limited

1961: London & Lancashire Fire merged with Royal Insurance

1965: London Assurance merged with Sun Alliance Insurance Limited

1968: The first computer was introduced to our Royal Insurance office

1984: Phoenix Assurance merged with Sun Alliance Insurance Limited

1996: Sun Alliance Group merged with Royal Insurance Holdings to become Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group plc

2001: RSA launched a new personal insurance brand in the UK, called MORE THAN

2008: Royal & Sun Alliance became RSA Insurance Group plc

2010: We celebrated our 300th birthday

2021: We become part of Intact Financial Corporation, following the sale of RSA Insurance Group plc to Intact and Tryg A/S

2023: RSA acquired DLG’s brokered Commercial Lines business, including brands like NIG and FarmWeb on 6 September

2023: RSA confirmed the sale of MORE THAN home and pet insurance business to Admiral Group

Tracey Fisher meets members of the Armed Forces

Our war memorials

Discover more about our history as we commemorate the service given by RSA workers during World War I and World War II.
Read about our war memorials

Some fast facts about RSA. Did you know?

We were the first to sell contents insurance

Charles Povey and Sun Insurance were the first insurance company to insure contents and items out of your property.

Charles Darwin had a policy with us

Insurance has a way of touching people's lives in unexpected ways and connects us with our past. Did you know we insured Charles Darwin's home, Down House in Kent in 1844.

We are proud of our British roots

We insured the British Olympic team in 1984 when they represented us at the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

We have links with the Titanic

With our links in marine insurance, we insured the dockyards in Belfast where the Titanic was built. The ship was a feat of engineering and is one of the most famous, tragically, sinking in 1912 on its maiden voyage.

Help to rebuild

RSA helped to rebuild port facilities at Galveston, Texas, after Hurricane Ike in 2008. Also, in 2009, we took part in the reconstruction of the Italian city of L’Aquila following an earthquake.

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Diversity, equity and inclusion

We thrive when everyone feels respected and valued. That’s why we promote diversity and inclusion across our business.

Stories about our people

Discover more about the incredible people who work at RSA, from what it's like to work here to what they do in their free time.

Our company values

Learn more about the five values that guide our actions and drive our commitment to supporting people, businesses, and society.