Fire mark

From 1684 fire insurance marks, made from lead, were put on the outside of properties to show which company insured them. This mark is from the Westminster Fire Office, which was established in 1717. Many of their early records have not survived and the owner of the policy (no. 4902) has not been traced. By the 1700s most insurance companies had their own fire brigades, often staffed by Thames watermen. However, during large fires, it required a lot of effort to keep the pumps working and the buckets of water coming so they would recruit bystanders to help. They were rewarded with beer or beer tokens that they could redeem in nearby pubs.