Sir Edward Mortimer Mountain, 1st Baronet (1872–1948) was the founder of

Eagle Star Insurance The Eagle Star Insurance Company plc (formerly Eagle Star Insurance Company Limited) was a leading British insurance business. It underwrote the full range of risks including liability, fire, accident, marine, motor, life, contingency and Pluvius ...

which became one of the largest insurance companies in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Career

Educated at

Dulwich College Dulwich College is a 2–19 Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school for Single-sex education, boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a Public school (United Kingdom), public school, it began as the Col ...

, Edward Mountain initially joined a

Lloyd's Lloyd's of London, generally known simply as Lloyd's, is an insurance and reinsurance market located in London, England. Unlike most of its competitors in the industry, it is not an insurance company; rather, Lloyd's is a corporate body gov ...

underwriting firm.Edward Mountain at Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
/ref> He later established his own broking firm, ''Hawley Mountain'', which, following a merger, became ''Gardner Mountain''. In 1904 he acquired the

marine insurance Marine insurance covers the physical loss or damage of ships, cargo, terminals, and any transport by which the property is transferred, acquired, or held between the points of origin and the final destination. Cargo insurance is the sub-branch o ...

business of ''British Dominions Insurance'' and formed ''British Dominions Marine Insurance Company''. He then established a reputation for himself by refusing to insure the

RMS Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

on her maiden voyage. During 1916 and 1917 he acquired, in quick succession, the ''Eagle'', ''Sceptre'' and ''Star'' Insurance Companies integrating them with his own business to create Eagle & British Dominions, which grew to become one of the largest insurance companies in the

. He was knighted in 1918 and made a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

in 1922. During 1934 he organized a search for the

Loch Ness Monster The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or mor ...

.R. Binns (1983)'' The Loch Ness Mystery Solved'' , pages 36–39 He died in 1948 at Dunkeld House in Perthshire.

Family

In 1897 he married Evelyn Ellen Regina Seigle (died 1950) and together they went on to have one son, Brian Edward Stanley (1899–1977), who inherited the title and also took on managing Eagle Star.The Peerage
sourced from ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage'', 107th edition,2003 The family Motto is Cum cruce salus.

Heraldic Achievement

His coat of arms was: Ermine on a fess Azure between three lions rampant guardant Sable each holding between the forepaws an escallop Gules three cross crosslets Argent. The accompanying crest is: Issuant from the battlements of a tower Proper a demi lion guardant Argent holding between the paws an escallop Gules.

References

1872 births 1948 deaths People educated at Dulwich College Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom British businesspeople in insurance Businesspeople awarded knighthoods Knights Bachelor Edward {{UK-business-bio-stub