Sun Alliance Group plc was a large insurance business with its main offices in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

and later

Horsham Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

. It was created in 1959 by the merger of Sun Insurance, founded in 1710, and

Alliance Assurance The Alliance Assurance was formed in 1824. It merged with Sun Insurance in 1959 to form Sun Alliance Insurance. History The Alliance was formed by Sir Moses Montefiore and Nathan Mayer Rothschild (married to sisters) with the intention of crea ...

founded in 1824. In 1996 Sun Alliance merged with

Royal Insurance Royal Insurance Holdings plc was a large insurance business originating in Liverpool but based in London from the early 20th century. It merged with Sun Alliance in 1996 to form the Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group. History Formation and e ...

to form the Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group. In the mid-1960s Sun Alliance established its administrative centre in a large office block, spanning an A-road through the town centre of

, a railway town south of London's centre. and its head office at 1 Bartholomew Lane in London. The Horsham building, St Marks Court is earmarked as developable. In an external recess, to the market place (Carfax) side, is the tall spired tower of the church.Horsham Town Local List
Horsham Council Its nave was demolished in about 1985. The spire was part of the original church of 1841 constructed from sandstone. The tower's base has become a florist and volunteers’ centre. Sun Alliance went on to acquire the

London Assurance Company London Assurance was an English insurance company founded in 1720, in the midst of the South Sea Bubble speculation. It was acquired by Sun Alliance in 1965 to form the Sun Alliance and London. Background The period 1719-20 saw an upsurge in joi ...

in 1965 (becoming Sun Alliance & London) and Phoenix Assurance in 1984. The company thus added suffix "Group" in 1989, consolidated most UK-based operations into the Horsham office in 1990, and yet kept its London head office. The company merged with

to form the Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group in 1996. File:Royal Sun Alliance buildings - geograph.org.uk - 438085.jpg, Sun Alliance offices in Horsham, behind the spire that sits in one of its recesses Sun Fire Office insurance mark (cropped).jpg, A Sun Fire Office insurance mark

References

{{Authority control Insurance companies of the United Kingdom Companies formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange Financial services companies disestablished in 1996 British companies disestablished in 1996