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 Hand-in-Hand Fire Office, which was established in 1696 in Tom's coffee house near Charing Cross. Its name was originally 'Contributors for Insuring Houses, Chambers or Rooms from Loss by Fire, by Amicable Contribution' but changed to the Hand-in-Hand in 1713. This policy (no. 77903) was issued to John Bezeley of St Anne's, Middlesex, a sugar refiner. The mark was on one of his tenements (nos. 21, 2, 23) south of Rose Lane in Lime Street. He took it out originally on 23 January 1758 and then renewed it with more buildings in 1765.