A company history published by a Scottish insurance firm on the occasion of its centenary in 1905 – so, most definitely not my usual fare! This Goodreads entry is for a contemporary reprint by one of those outfits that do print-on-demand for old books, but I actually read an original edition which had belonged to my great-uncle Tom. The reason why he had the book and why I read it is because the first manager of this insurance company, between 1805 and 1828, was my great-great-great-great-great grandfather’s brother. The book includes a bit of information about him and his family as well as a pointer to a more detailed article-length profile of him published in the late 19th or early 20th century that I will try to track down. It also includes a reproduction of a portrait done of him by a famous Scottish portrait artist. All of which is rather embarassingly posh, but I still appreciate that it means I get to learn a little bit about relatives from that era. Anyway, beyond the rather narrow family history interest it holds for me, the book is much as you would expect. There are hints of interesting social history from early 19th century Scotland, but far more to-me boring and moderately incomprehensible details of the insurance business as well as plenty of puffery about how great the company and its management have been. It’s also interesting as an object, given its age – the company must have put a lot of money into publishing it, because I can’t imagine including so many photographic plates in a book was cheap way back in 1905. Today, the company no longer exists as an independent entity, but was at some point in the 20th century absorbed into a London-based firm that is currently one of the largest in the UK.
Originally posted by Scott on Goodreads.