General Accident
General Accident plc was a large insurance business based in Perth, Scotland. It merged with Commercial Union in 1998 to form CGU plc.
New Head office at Pitheavlis opened in 1984 | |
Type | Public |
---|---|
Industry | Insurance |
Fate | Merged with Commercial Union |
Successor | CGU plc |
Founded | 1885 |
Defunct | 1998 |
Headquarters | Perth, Scotland |
History
The General Accident and Employers' Liability Assurance Association Ltd. was founded in Perth, Scotland in 1885.[1][2]
The company became the General Accident Assurance Corporation Ltd. in 1891.[2] It moved to a purpose-built head office at No. 2 High Street in Perth in 1899;[2] the building was extended in 1958.[3]
General Accident acquired Yorkshire Insurance Company Ltd. in 1967. All general insurance business was relocated to Perth, while the offices in York became the centre for the new firm's life assurance and pensions business.[4]
It moved to a new head office at Necessity Brae in Pitheavlis in 1984.[5]
General Accident acquired Stevenage-based Provident Mutual Life Assurance Association in 1995, merging it with the GA Life and Pensions business as Provident Mutual Life Assurance Ltd. York became the centre of all life assurance business and Stevenage of all pensions business.[4]
The company merged with Commercial Union to form CGU plc in 1998.[6]
Aviva, which was formed when CGU merged with Norwich Union in 2000, reintroduced the General Accident brand, for customers who use car insurance price comparison sites, in April 2013.[7]
References
- "General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corporation Ltd". National Archives. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- "1899 – General Accident Assurance Co, Perth, Scotland". Archiseek. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- "The Fair City of Perth: Application for City Status" (PDF). Perth and Kinross Council. 5 April 2010. p. 8. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- "Events timeline". Aviva. Archived from the original on 2012-09-17. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
- Historic Environment Scotland. "Aviva UK Insurance Building (former General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation Headquarters), including landscaped concourse and two metal sculptures to the south, granite sculpture to northwest, excluding power plants to the west, car port and car parking area to the south and former recreation centre to the east, Necessity Brae, Pitheavlis, Perth (Category A Listed Building) (LB52450)". Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- "U.K.'s Commercial Union, General Accident to Merge". Wall Street Journal. 26 February 1998. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- "Aviva launches General Accident brand". Post on-line. 1 April 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2020.