City Fire Insurance Company of the City of New York Fire Policy for Abraham Bell & Company, 117 Broad Street, New York--1839
New York City: City Fire Insurance Company of the City of New York, 1839. City Fire Insurance Company of the City of New York Fire Policy for Abraham Bell & Company, 117 Broad Street, New York--1839
Bifolium policy measures , previously folded into sixths. Partially printed. Light foxing. 1/2 inch to one inch hole through both leaves affecting some text. Good Condition.
Early fire insurance policy for New York City property located at 117 Broad Street, offices of Abraham Bell & Company. From the University of Michigan finding aid for the papers of Abraham Bell we find: "Abraham Bell was born in Ireland in March 1778, and married Mary Christy in 1812; the couple had six children. In the early 19th century, Bell, a Quaker, and his family emigrated to New York City, where he built a shipping firm, Abraham Bell & Company. The business, which operated several transatlantic routes, shipped a wide variety of goods, including linens. In 1844, Bell changed the name of his company to Abraham Bell & Son. A few years later, during the Irish famine of the late 1840s, Bell's company assisted in the transportation of émigrés to America. Bell died in New York City in 1856."
After the Great Fire of New York in 1835, fire insurance became difficult to obtain as many companies were bankrupted by the 1835 fire with a reported 23 of 26 insurance companies wiped out. Little is found about the City Fire Insurance Company of the City of New York. After the 1835 conflagration, most fire insurance companies in the east were based out of Hartford, Connecticut. This policy is signed by the company President Cyrus Hitchcock and Secretary R.A. Reading. The premium was $1.00 for coverage of $1200.
Document printed by James Van Norden, Pine Street, New York and features a suitably patriotic vignette at the top of the certificate. Item #2250
Price: $150.00