Memories looks at fire plates, which have stirred up interest across the region, and investigates the Lamson Paragon pneumatic cash system.

In November 1708, Charles Povey decreed: “Every Person, who already has, or shall have at any time hereafter, Subscribed to Mr Povey’s Proposals for Insuring Moveable Goods, Merchandizes and Wares, from Loss and Damage by Fire, shall have a Mark representing the Sun, nailed up against their Houses.” The name of Mr Povey’s company originally was the Company of London Insurers, but because he was a keen astronomer, he adopted a blazing sun as the company’s emblem. Of course, everyone nicknamed the company “the Sun” and so, in 1710, that became the company’s name.

TODAY, his company is part of the Royal Sun Alliance – the world’s oldest insurance company to be trading under its original name.

And today, at least three of his marks still beam down from houses in the North- East.

Yarm has two, one at either end of the High Street. The northern one is lovingly painted on the Cartmell Electrics building; the southern one is largely obscured by a “To Let”

sign nailed above a dress hire shop.

The third Sun fire plate is above Cooplands the bakers, in Stokesley High Street.

These lead fire plates have the insurance policy number stamped into them.

As Memories issue 32 explained, fire plates were needed in the days when properties didn’t have proper addresses.

In big cities, the insurance companies had private fire brigades that would only extinguish fires if the householder could prove he was insured – the fire plate was visible proof that he was.

The Sun plate at the south end of Yarm High Street is numbered 112730, which makes it the oldest in the area, probably from the late 1730s. Stokesley’s is numbered 405285, which dates it from about 1778.

There was another Sun plate above the portico of the King’s Head, in Barnard Castle, but that was so crudely gouged out in the Eighties that you can still see the hole in the brickwork.

Barney has to make do with its Royal Exchange plate, which is high on Sir Roderick Murchison’s home in Galgate (see Memories issue 34), which is now a solicitor’s office.

The Royal Exchange Assurance of Houses and Goods from Loss by Fire company was formed in 1720 in the Royal Exchange, which was the commercial centre of London in Threadneedle Street. The Royal Exchange’s fire mark carries a picture of the Exchange building which, ironically, was so ravaged by fire in 1838 that all of the company’s records were destroyed.

Barney’s mark is badly weathered, but it carries the policy number 58197 – so it, too, seems to date from the mid-18th Century. Sir Roderick must have clapped eyes on it when he lived there in the early 19th Century.

He might even have wondered what it was all about because, by his day, most cities and towns had clubbed together to provide common fire services so that the profit- motivated brigades of the insurance companies were not required.

Initially, local businessmen, gentry and church-goers pooled resources to pay for an engine, but after 1833, councils gradually took on the responsibility.

However, the creation of municipal fire brigades was a struggle because the Duke of Wellington – “the Iron Duke” who beat Napoleon at Waterloo and became Prime Minister – opposed them because he said they would stop the public being vigilant.

By the start of the 19th Century, most companies had ceased issuing fire marks with policy numbers on them, although some continued to issue “fire plates”. Made from copper plate or sheet iron, these contained only the company’s emblem and were little more than free advertising.

There’s a Protector fire plate in Church Row, Hurworth (see Memories issue 32), and Colin Harrison points us to Palace Green, in Durham City, where there’s a splendid Phoenix plate on Bishop Cosin’s Hall.

This impressive building was built in the late 17th Century as a townhouse. It became Archdeacon’s Inn before, in 1833, becoming the university’s first hall of residence when it was renamed after the famous bishop. It is now the Institute of Advanced Study.

The Phoenix was founded in London in 1782 by sugar bakers and refiners who wanted an insurance company that understood their trade’s unusual fire hazards.

The Phoenix – whose plates often also contain the word “Protection” – rapidly spread, although it would have to been a very brave company to bear the risk of a student’s hall of residence.

Finally, Brian Jones has kindly sent in a picture of well-preserved Royal fire plate on the High Street, in Witton-le-Wear, County Durham. The Royal was formed in 1845 in Liverpool.

As companies amalgamated, both the Phoenix and the Royal were rolled into the Royal Sun Alliance.

Many thanks to everyone who has pointed us in the direction of fire marks and fire plates: are there any more out there?