Salvation Army Assurance Society Ltd

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 2133 SAAS
Held at	: Salvation Army International Heritage Centre   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/heritage ›
Full title	: Salvation Army Assurance Society Ltd
Date(s)	: 1891-1989
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 9 boxes
Name of creator(s)	: Salvation Army Assurance Society Ltd

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

In 1891 the Charter of the Methodist and General Assurance Society came into the possession of The Salvation Army. The name became Salvation Army Life Assurance in connexion with The Methodist and General Assurance Society, Limited but was shortened to The Salvation Army Assurance Society, Limited in 1904. The Society operated under this name until 1972 when it merged with the Wesleyan and General Assurance Society which continues to operate today (October 2013) independently of The Salvation Army.

Until the Second World War, the Chief Office of the Salvation Army Assurance Society was in London, alongside International Headquarters in Queen Victoria Street, but for the duration of the War the offices were evacuated to 'Rosehill', a country house near Reading. During 1947, the Chief Office moved to new premises at 220-226 Tottenham Court Road, London W1, but 'Rosehill' was retained until 1960 as a Conference Centre.

The dual aims of the Society were to undertake life insurance business (industrial and ordinary) and to promote and support the religious and charitable work of The Salvation Army. The Society was staffed by officers and non-officers in its Chief Offices and by non-officer 'agents' in its branches. The vast majority of agents and non-officer clerical staff employed by the Society were Salvationists to aid it in accomplishing its evangelical objectives. The Society began issuing life assurance policies in 1894. It also produced several successful bands and songster brigades including The Assurance Songsters and The Rosehill Band.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of The Salvation Army Assurance Society Ltd, 1891-1989.

The collection comprises the records of the Salvation Army Assurance Society, Rosehill Conference Centre and Band, and The Assurance Songsters. Where original order was in evidence within series, it has been maintained but an overall logical structure has been imposed.

The records are arranged as follows:

SAAS/1 Administrative records

SAAS/2 Financial records

SAAS/3 Property records

SAAS/4 Staff records

SAAS/5 Product records

SAAS/6 Publications and communications

SAAS/7 Ephemera

SAAS/8 Rosehill

SAAS/9 Assurance Songsters

SAAS/10 Photographs

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

See Scope and Content.

Conditions governing access:

Some files containing personal information are closed under the terms of the Data Protection Act. Please enquire for details. Open files can be viewed in the reading room of The Salvation Army International Heritage Centre, open Tue-Fri 9.30-4.00. An appointment will be required to view these records as they are stored offsite. Tel: 0207 326 7800; email: heritage@salvationarmy.org.uk.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Contact the Archive for further information.

Finding aids:

Contact the Archive for further information.

Archival Information

Archival history:

The custodial history of much of the collection is unknown. Some small deposits of policy documents and photographs are documented, but the majority of the collection seems to have been deposited by internal transfer after the merger of the Salvation Army Assurance Society or to have been collected on an ad hoc basis.

Immediate source of acquisition:

See Archival history.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Catalogued by Ruth Macdonald, September-October 2013

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
EAD into AIM25 October 2014