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A Set of Lusty Fellows London Insurance Company Firemen and Porters 1680-1832 by Maureen Shettle The product of over thirty years of research, largely based on the extensive but little used original records of the various London insurance companies, this book examines the history of insurance company fire brigades in London during the period from their formation in 1680 until their gradual amalgamation into a single body from 1833. It concentrates on a subject which has received little previous attention and is thought to be the first work that specifically focuses on the insurance firemen and porters of the period in London. Detail is provided of the management and operation of the different fire establishments and the working lives of their employees. Many examples are provided of specific incidents and individuals, bringing to light the service that these men rendered to their community, often at great personal risk to themselves, many of them suffering injury or death in the course of their work. The book should appeal to both general readers, those interested in local and social history, particularly of London, and those with an interest in the history of fire and other emergency services. The author, who is a retired archivist, comes from a fire service family. One of her earliest memories is of a set of her father’s drawings of insurance firemen which adorned the walls of the family home, and it was these which sparked her interest in fire history at an early age. She went on to gain a first degree in History, a higher degree in English local history and then qualifications in archive administration and genealogy. Historical research has played an important part in her working life and has been a major interest in her spare time . She has contributed articles to several local history journals and has also given talks on the history of fire protection to local organisations |