There were definite attractions for underwriting outside of London - the country houses and villas were detached and well built and the mansions of the aristocracy became larger and more numerous during the 18th century.

Fire offices based in London often employed agents to cover these areas to compete with the new local fire offices and regional profits could help subsidise the bigger losses from the larger industrial towns and cities.

The wave of new provincial offices included the Norwich Union as well as those founded in Brighton, Maidstone, Ipswich, Colchester, Exeter, Liverpool, Birmingham and Sheffield. Fire offices were also established in Ireland and Scotland. Some provincial offices also had fire brigades, for instance the Kent Fire Office employed at least 63 firemen at one time.

Founded by co-partners with a capital of £30,000 in Trim Street, Bath. The annual rates of premium varied between 2s per cent for common and 5s per cent for doubly hazardous insurance, and policyholders could insure for any number of years. After one year a discount of sixpence in the pound per annum was allowed on the premium. The company issued about 460 policies in its first year. Early advertisements state that 'fire bags' were kept at the office in case of need. These were leather bags, bearing the company's emblem, in which goods could be placed for removal to a place of safety in case of fire.

Following a fire at Westgate Buildings, Bath, in 1779, when a great number of goods were stolen, the company decided to form its own fire brigade. By January 1780 its advertisements stated that, 'in the event of fire in any insured building, notice should be given at the office in Trim Street, where engines are always kept ready for use, and firemen will be sent to give immediate assistance, and to take care that furniture, be safely moved'.

By 1792 a total of 5,750 policies had been issued. In 1808 the company's brigade was shared with the Bath Sun Fire Office, 'For the additional security of persons insuring, proper Fire-Engines are provided, and a company of able Firemen are employed in the service of this office, in conjunction with the Bath Sun Fire-Office; which establishment is the only effective one of its kind in the city'. Engines were stationed at six points in the city.

The company never had more than five agents at any one time. The Sun Fire Office purchased the company in March 1827.

The first insurance company to adopt 'the liberal plan of paying the whole of the Loss to every sufferer by Fire, without the Deduction of Three Pounds per Cent', as was the usual practice by other companies at the time.

The company rarely advertised in local papers at first, but, when the Bristol Universal Fire Office was formed in 1774 and offered more favourable terms, the New Bristol announced that it had altered its rates of premium for common insurance to match those of the rival company and would in future insure 'Plate, China, Glass, Wainscot of Rooms, and Carved Work'.

Three agents were appointed in 1786 at Trow-bridge, Bath and Wells, and by 1788 an additional eleven agents had been appointed.

Although the company was reluctant to use newspaper advertisements, the increasing competition of London insurance companies with agents in Bristol caused it to reconsider its attitude, and advertisements began to appear in Felix Farley's Bristol Journal.
In 1797 a new set of proposals was issued in which it was stated that the company had established a fund of £240,000 and would be responsible for 'Losses by Fire as far as that sum shall extend but for no more. By 1800 some 11,185 policies had been under-written. The first mention of an Engine House' is in 1810.

In 1840 the directors announced that they had decided to discontinue business and the company had been sold to the Imperial Fire Insurance Company.

The signatures of the Manchester's directors on the policy are witnessed by Thomas Bewley. Bewley worked for the Sun until 1769, and it is probable that when he transferred to the Manchester he took some forms with him. In 1788 the company passed to the Phoenix Assurance Company, which wanted to expand its business and sphere of influence in the Manchester area.

The company was established for the insuring of 'houses, warehouses and other buildings, household furniture, implements of trade, goods, wares and merchandise from loss or damage by fire'. Their office opened in the Bristol Exchange. The first advertisement of the company, published in Felix Farley's Bristol Journal on 3 September 1774, stated that, ‘The great advantage the public as well as individuals receive by securing property, from loss by fire, is universally allowed, yet many complain of being prevented from taking the benefit of so prudent a measure by the restrictive clauses in all the proposals of their kind that have as yet been offered them - to obviate which the proprietors of this undertaking have determined to pay for plate, china, wainscot of rooms, carved work, etc., according to its value and to insure all large sums on common insurance at the same price as small ones… after the rate of two shillings for every hundred pounds per annum. As an inducement for the public to adopt this beneficial institution the Society have established a fund of fifty thousand pounds to make good any losses that may happen to any property insured by them.'

After four years the proprietors realised that continuing to run the company on only a small premium income was uneconomic, and, as they also had stiff competition from the Bristol Crown Fire Office and the Sun Fire Office, they decided to wind up the company in 1778.

Established by sixty co-patrons with a capital of £30,000 to insure houses and goods from loss by fire. Initially nine agents were appointed, by 1835 the number had increased to twenty-five. The company did not maintain its own brigade for the first thirty years but relied on the engines of other companies, to which it paid a reward for attendance at a fire. The first engine on the scene received one guinea, the second half a guinea and all subsequent ones 5s.
In 1808 the Bath Sun signed an agreement with the Bath Fire Office to maintain a combined brigade with engines stationed in six engine houses in the city. The combined fire brigade lasted until March 1827, when the Bath Fire Office ceased to underwrite insurance and the business was purchased by the Sun Fire Office. The Bath Sun took over the brigade, or at least part of it, and ran it alone.
The last policy issued by the Bath Sun was number 11,528 and the business was sold to the Sun Fire Office.

The company maintained a fire brigade equipped with engines, but fire-fighting in Liverpool was difficult. Despite its importance as a port, there was no public water supply until 1801. Water came from private wells and was sold from watercarts. A reward of half a guinea went to the first watercart at the scene of a fire.
In December 1794 the directors of the Liverpool decided to discontinue business and transferred their outstanding risks and property to the Phoenix Assurance Company.

The agency used the title Liverpool Phoenix Fire Office for a few years before dropping the word 'Liverpool' from the name.

The formation of this company resulted mainly from the efforts of a Leeds banking firm, Messrs Beckett & Co. of the Old Bank, Park Row, Leeds. The proprietors clearly had high hopes for their new company as evidenced by the following extract from an advertisement in the Leeds Mercury of 2 December 1777:

For the accommodation of the Public, the Proprietors have provided a New Fire Engine, a sufficient number of leather buckets etc., which will be kept, with those belonging to the town, at the Engine House, Kirkgate, and in case of accident, upon notice given either to Mr William Lidley in Kirkgate or at the above office, the engines may be immediately had.'

Just five years later, 'due to the levying of a Duty on Fire Insurances', the business was transferred to the Sun Fire Office, which offered to take over all existing insurances by the issue of a free policy. The duty referred to was a tax of 1s 6d per cent on the sum insured, levied by the government to raise money to finance the war against the newly formed 'United Colonies of America' which was later known as the American War of Independence.

The Salop's first advertisement mentions the employment of a number of men to assist in extinguishing fires and removing goods. These firemen were supplied with manually pumped fire engines of the Newsham type, buckets, ladders, hooks and other equipment.

Persons who transferred insurance from another company were given free policies; otherwise a charge of 8s 6d was made, which covered the cost of the policy and fire mark over and above the premium.

The company had a lot of local support and enjoyed a privileged position until 1837, when a rival company, the Shropshire and North Wales, was formed. In the original deed of co-partnership it was decided that all profits for the first seven years should go towards a fund for carrying on the concern. The total amount insured on any one risk was not to exceed £2,000 for buildings and £3,000 for stock-in-trade.

The Salop at first operated from the Secretary, Mr Wood's house in High Street, Shrewsbury, but later moved to the Corn Exchange, before moving to premises situated between the Talbot Inn and the Music Hall. There was an adjoining alley which became known as Fire Office Passage since it gave access to Franklin's Livery Stable on Swan Hill where the fire engine was housed.

The office continued to operate successfully for many years until 1889, when negotiations began with the Alliance Assurance Company, which wanted to take over the business. The transfer was completed the following year.

The Newcastle originally insured widely, but about 1819 it discontinued insurance in Scotland and stopped insurance on cotton and flax mills, concentrating on insurance of private houses, shipping and other non-hazardous risks.

A new set of proposals was adopted in 1820 and farming 'stock and utensils' in all the buildings or in all or any of the yards and places on any one farm, in one sum', were insured at 1s 6d per cent.

The number of proprietors was probably never very large, and by 1831 only twenty-one proprietors accounts are recorded, three of these being represented by executors of deceased members. In 1836 the company wrote to the Sun Fire Office asking if it would like to take over the business, but after due consideration the Sun declined the offer.

In 1792 an advertisement published in the Bath Chronicle the society mentioned that besides houses and other buildings they were now insuring household goods, furniture, printed books, wearing apparel, wares, merchandise, utensils, and stock in trade, and would also effect insurance on farming stock, thatched barns, stables, granaries and outhouses, provided they had no chimney or kiln.

In 1835 the proprietors decided to discontinue the fire insurance business and began negotiations with the Sun Fire Office which resulted in a transfer of the business on 3 November 1835 for the sum of £2,000.

The company was established in 1790 with an office at The Cross, Worcester, to effect insurance on houses, buildings, goods, and merchandise against loss or damage by fire.

By 1807 the company had twenty-five agents and by 1814 had twenty-nine. It was prepared to insure farming stock and make good losses caused by lightening; as a further inducement to prospective clients, it made no charge for policies.

The company maintained a fire engine operated by part-time firemen from 1790 until 1814, when a permanent brigade was employed. Their uniform consisted of a helmet, waistcoat, jacket, breeches, stockings and shoes. A badge was worn on the left arm which bore the letters W.FO. They were supplied with a manual fire engine, hooks, ladders, buckets, axes and other fire-fighting equipment.

From 1791 to 1817 losses amounted to 50 per cent of premium income exclusive of expenses. This proved too much for the funds, and so in 1818 the business passed to the Phoenix Assurance Company, which continued to maintain the fire brigade at Worcester until the local authority assumed responsibility for fire-fighting.

By 1797 the premium income of the Norwich General amounted to £3,500 for almost £2½ million of property insured. However, Bignold was still thinking about a mutual scheme and in 1797 resigned and started one with no capital and in which all profits, less working expenses, were to be returned to the assured every seven years. This new venture was eventually called the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society.

Since the Norwich General had been founded for a period of thirty years, the company was due to be dissolved in 1822. However, in 1821 it was decided to amalgamate it with the Norwich Union. This was effected by a new deed of settlement dated 6 August 1821 which raised the capital of the combined company, which kept the name Norwich Union, to £550,000.

He wished to start a mutual society, which the Norwich General was not, and so left it to form a new society. There were twelve directors, four of whom retired annually.

For the first few years, the growth of the society was steady. By 1804 it had over forty agents in Norfolk and Suffolk. After seven years, it repaid 75 per cent of the premium paid, the amount of insured property and goods having reached more than £3 million. By 1805 it had 6,000 members and almost 120 agents throughout England. The society continued to expand and by 1820 it had nearly 500 agents in all parts of Britain, its premium income was £70,000 and it had returned over £90,000 to its members.

In 1821 the Norwich General amalgamated with the Norwich Union. Following the brief existence of an agency at Bordeaux in 1825, no further overseas agency was established until 1851. The society in 1862 undertook the insurance for the Great Exhibition building. The policy was for £450,000 for one year at 10s 6d per cent, the premium amounting to £2,362 10s and duty to £675. In 1865 the society extended its business to most of the British Empire, China, Japan and most parts of Europe.

The early part of the nineteenth century was a boom period for the formation of new insurance companies, which by this time were mostly established as joint-stock companies. The mutual system, however, was still occasionally found, the Essex Equitable being a typical example, formed by a group of property owners.

It would appear that the proprietors of the new society were concerned because much of the proceeds of their existing insurance premiums was being used to settle claims in London. They were consequently paying more for their fire insurance than they felt was necessary. No insurances were accepted on properties situated within a ten-mile radius of London, and not unexpectedly therefore much of the portfolio comprised farming stock.

The society prospered, for many years paying an annual bonus in the region of 30 per cent.

The society at first paid for and maintained local parish engines, but this arrangement was unsatisfactory, and engines were purchased for use at Chelmsford in 1803 and Colchester in 1812. Eventually several brigades were operated by the society in the surrounding counties.

The society issued fire marks only in Essex and later in Suffolk, but there was a difference in the method of fixing compared with established London companies. While the latter provided an employee actually to fix the mark to the property, the Essex trusted the insured to do so.

From 1902 the society's reserves failed to keep pace with the growth of premiums and in 1911 the directors decided to allow a takeover by the Atlas Assurance Company, with the condition that the Essex and Suffolk would continue to trade under its own name.

The suggestion that the county of Kent should have its own fire insurance company was first discussed publicly at a meeting in the Bell Inn, Maidstone, on 15 February 1802. One of the founder deputy governors was the former Prime Minister, William Pitt. At first a somewhat parochial attitude towards its area of operation was adopted, and it was not until 1818 that Kent agreed to insure property 'in any part of England'

Their agents were expected to act as firemen if required and so were supplied with buckets. The men were supplied with a board or later a brass plate, to place above the door of their houses inscribed 'Fireman to the Kent Fire Office'. The first manual fire engine was stationed at Maidstone, and by 1811 eleven Kent towns had been supplied with engines.

As an indication of the importance of the use of fire marks for advertising purposes, a statement by a director in March 1804 advised “that were Kent Engine Buckets hung up in the Church at Deptford with a plenty of Marks and handsome Shew Boards put up in Woolwich and Deptford, the whole would greatly contribute to the notoriety, respectability and interest of the Kent Fire Office.”

The Kent was taken over by the Royal Insurance Company in 1901, and as a final gesture it presented the county town of Maidstone with the latest Shand, Mason steam fire engine. Named 'The Queen', the engine continued to be used up to and including the Second World War.

The name of the company seems to have been varied quite a lot, the most usual being Suffolk Fire Office, but Robson's Directory for 1839 gives several variations in title: Suffolk and General County Amicable, Suffolk and General Country Amicable, Suffolk Amicable, and Suffolk and General Insurance Company.

Batches of policies were allocated to each division and fire marks were issued by both offices, the letter 'E' or 'W’ being scratched on the back of the marks to denote the issuing office. The office at Ipswich issued far more policies than the Bury St Edmunds one, a total of 1,241 as opposed to 35 in the first year, a trend that appears to have continued throughout the life of the company.

In 1849 the company was absorbed by the Alliance, British and Foreign Fire and Life Insurance Company.

The company was established to transact fire insurance on houses, factories, goods, ships, barges, cargo and farming stock.

The formation and incorporation of the company was opposed by a number of established companies, including the Sun Fire Office, which presented a petition to Parliament.

Little is known of its business history, but it was obviously not very successful, since when it was taken over by the Alliance, British and Foreign Fire and Life Insurance Company in 1864 the annual premium income amounted to just £105.

It transacted fire business only, and it is difficult to imagine why a successful company like the Alliance should bother with such a small acquisition. It is quite possible that the purchase was made purely because, there being a need for the Alliance to expand in this part of the country, it provided a ready-made local office, with suitable employees who were familiar with the area.

In its first year of business the company seems to have amalgamated with another newly established Birmingham company, the Birmingham Union Fire Office. Also in that year the company built a fire station in Union Street, comprising an engine house, stables and firemen's cottages. It also established local fire brigades, manned by volunteers in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.

Nothing is known of the business history of the company, which passed to the Lancashire Insurance Company in 1867.

A fire brigade was formed in 1808 and consisted of sixteen men with a fire engine and other equipment.

Business rapidly expanded, the company moving to larger premises in High Street, Exeter, in 1820. By 1825 the company was the ninth largest in the United Kingdom, and in 1828 it opened an office and fire brigade at Blackfriars in London. By 1852 the company was the sixth-largest fire insurance company in the United Kingdom.

Early in 1894 negotiations for the sale of the business to the Commercial Union Assurance Company began, and an agreement for the sale was obtained in March 1894. The entire staff of the West of England Company were taken on by the Commercial Union.

The company had the backing of the many local cutlery and allied engineering firms and made good progress, although it did not insure outside Sheffield and the surrounding district.

Before the end of its first year it had moved to larger premises in the Hay Market, with offices on the first floor and manual horse-drawn fire engines housed on the ground floor. The brigade consisted of ten firemen and an engineer under Mr Staniforth, the foreman.

Fire risks in Sheffield were quite high, owing to the large number of industrial premises, and so a part of the local police force was organised into a fire brigade under Superintendent Otter, equipped with a fire engine and escape which were housed at the Town Hall.

In 1863 negotiations were entered into with the Alliance, British and Foreign Fire and Life Insurance Company, which wanted to take over the business. This gave the Alliance valuable connections in Sheffield.

A number of former proprietors of the Bristol Crown Fire Office formed the Bristol Union on 5 January 1818. The inhabitants of Bristol were invited to participate in the company, whose capital was intended to be £200,000 divided into 2,000 shares of £100 each but which was increased to £250,000 before the end of the first year.

An advertisement of 28 March 1818 announced that 'A Fire-Engine, on the most efficient and approved principle, with an establishment of active Firemen, will in a short time be ready.’

The proposals issued by the company show that it charged 2s per cent for common insurance, 3s per cent for hazardous and 5s per cent for doubly hazardous, but deductions were allowed for policies over one year.

The company continued to make slow but steady progress until June 1844 when the company's office in Corn Street was purchased by the Imperial Fire Insurance Company.

The company was constituted by a deed dated 25 November 1822 to transact insurance on 'Houses, Buildings, Stock in Trade, Barges and other insurable commodities and effects within the Boro' of Reading'. Every three years the profits and accumulations were divided equally between shareholders and policyholders.

A circular dated 20 July 1841 informed policyholders that the directors had decided to discontinue the business and had instructed the books to be handed over to the Phoenix Assurance Company. The Phoenix guaranteed all existing Reading policies.

There is no evidence that the Reading maintained its own brigade, although the Berkshire and Gloucestershire had a brigade in Reading from about 1824 to 1831 and the Reading may have made a contribution towards this.