1881 – The Northern Assurance Company, Newcastle upon Tyne
Architect: Austin, Johnson & Hicks
“These offices occupy a commanding position at the comer of St. Nicholas-square and Colling-wood-street.
Northern Assurance Company
In the early part of the 20th century, the so-called “curse of the Northern” was supposed to affect architects who designed the company’s buildings. The architect appointed to design the company’s London office died during building work and his replacement was seized by an illness from which he never recovered. The architects of the company’s buildings in Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow and Newcastle also died only a few years after the buildings were completed.
The Northern Assurance Company was established in Aberdeen in 1836 as the North of Scotland Fire and Life Assurance Company. It was incorporated under the Joint Stock Companies Registration Act and renamed the Northern Assurance Company under an act of parliament dated 30th June, 1848. From the start it enjoyed close links with the North of Scotland Bank, and it rapidly assumed first national, then world dimensions, with boards in London, Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Melbourne, and a considerable volume of overseas business. There have been many amalgamations and acquisitions throughout its history, culminating in merger with the Commercial Union (now CGNU) in 1968.
1884 – Northern Assurance Company, Dundee, Scotland
Architect: James Maclaren & Son
Published in The Building News, February 29th 1884.
1886 – Design for No.7 Westmoreland Street, Dublin
Architect: Sir Thomas Drew
The runner-up in an architectural competition to design offices for the Northern Fire and Life Assurance Company.
1886 – No.7 Westmoreland Street, Dublin
Architect: G.C. Ashlin
Designed by G.C. Ashlin to resemble a French Renaissance corner pavilion, this building was the result of an architectural competition for offices for the Northern Fire and Life Assurance Company.
1888 – Design for Northern Assurance Co., Westmoreland Street, Dublin
Architect: J.J. O’Callaghan
Entrant in an architectural competition to design offices for the Northern Fire and Life Assurance Company.
1888 – Second Design for Northern Assurance Co., Westmoreland Street, Dublin
Architect: J.J. O’Callaghan
Entrant in an architectural competition to design offices for the Northern Fire and Life Assurance Company.
1959 – Northern Assurance Co. Ltd., 10-12 Trinity Street, Dublin
Costructed on the site of the Sun Alliance offices which had been designed by G.C. Ashlin. Later extended in the same design to include the next building on St.
