CONTENTS.
| CHAPTER I. | |
| Origin of the Doctrine of Probabilities. Essayof John de Witt. The Plague. First Bills of Mortality. Captain JohnGraunt—his Opinions, Life, and Estimates. Curious Terms in the oldRegisters—their Explanation. Life of Sir William Petty. His Careerand Character | Page [1] |
| CHAP. II. | |
| Practice of Assurance by the Romans. SaxonApproximation to Friendly Societies. Marine Assurance. Danger of Navigation,and its Effect on Life Assurance. Assurance for Palmers and Pilgrims to theHoly Land. Bulmer’s Office of Assurance. Assurance of Navigators, Merchants,and Corporations. Uncertainty of Life. Annuities. Audley the Usurer. His History.Anecdotes concerning him. The Usurer’s Widow | [25] |
| CHAP. III. | |
| JudahManasseh Lopez, the Jew Usurer. His Trick on the Duke of Buckingham. Suspicionsconcerning him. The Increase of London. Population of London. Proclamations. Halley’sMovement in Life Assurance. His Tables | [46] |
| CHAP. IV. | |
| First Trial concerning Life Assurance. The Mercers’—itsEstablishment and System. The Sun—John Povey, its Projector—his Character.Wagers on the Life of King William. New Assurances. The Amicable—the Mode in whichit was established. New Annuity Societies—Anecdotes concerning them—Close oftheir Career | [56] |
| CHAP. V. | |
| Royal Exchange and London Assurance—their Riseand Progress. Bubble Era. Epigrams. Opposition to the New Companies. Accusationsagainst the Attorney-General. List of Assurance Companies. ExtraordinaryCharacter of many. Remarkable Career of Le Brun. Directors inTrouble | [72] |
| CHAP. VI. | |
| Sketch of De Moivre—his Doctrine of Chances.Kersseboom. De Parcieux. Hodgson. Dodson. First Fraud in Life Assurance—itsromantic Character. Thomas Simpson. Calculations of De Buffon | [87] |
| CHAP. VII. | |
| Rise and Progress of the Equitable—itsDangers and its Difficulties. Comparative Premiums. Sketch of Mr.Morgan—his Opinions. Singular Attempt to defraud the Equitable—Deathof the Offender. Attempt of Government to rob the Offices | [108] |
| CHAP. VIII. | |
| BubbleAnnuity Companies—their Promises. Effect on the People. Dr. Price—hisLife. Sir John St. Aubyn. The Yorkshire Squire—Assurances on his Life—hisSuicide. | [125] |
| CHAP. IX. | |
| Gambling in Assurances on Walpole. George II.The Jacobite Prisoners. The German Emigrants. Admiral Byng. John Wilkes.Young Mr. Pigot and old Mr. Pigot. Lapland Ladies and Lapland Rein-deer.Insurance on Cities. Gambling on the Sex of D’Eon. Public Meeting.Disappointment of the Citizens. Trial concerning D’Eon. Lord Mansfield’sDecision | [140] |
| CHAP. X. | |
| Fraudulent Annuities—Act to preventthem. Salvador the Jew. David Cunningham, the Scotchman—hisCareer—his Annuity Company—its Success—his doubleCharacter—his Fate. Mortuary Registration. John Perrott—hisPassion for China—Trick played him. Curious Fraud. Westminster Society.Pelican | [157] |
| CHAP. XI. | |
| Legal Decisions. William Pitt, and Godsalland Co. Romance of Life Assurance. The Globe. New Companies. TheAlliance—its Promoters. Improvement of the Value of Lifeconsequent on the Improvement in Society—its Description.Trial concerning the Duke of Saxe Gotha. Important LegalDecision | [176] |
| CHAP. XII. | |
| Government Annuities—Opinionsconcerning them—Great Loss to the State. Mr. Moses Wing’sLetter. Mr. Finlaison. New Annuity Act—its Advantages to Jobbers.Endeavours to procure old Lives. Anecdotes concerning them. PhilipCourtenay | [199] |
| CHAP. XIII. | |
| Fraudin Life Assurance Companies—its Extent—its remarkableand romantic Character. Janus Weathercock. Helen Abercrombie—herDeath. Forgery of Wainwright—his Absence from England—hisReturn, Capture, and Death. Independent and West Middlesex—its Rise,Progress, and Ruin of all concerned | [213] |
| CHAP. XIV. | |
| Select Committee of 1841. Instances ofDeception. Publication of Accounts. New Companies—Assertionsabout them—their Importance—Suggestions concerningthem | [252] |
| CHAP. XV. | |
| Extension of Assurance. Society forAssurance against Purgatory. Commercial Credit Company. GuaranteeSociety. Medical, Invalid, and General. Agricultural Company.Rent Guarantee. Railway Passengers. Law, Property, and IndisputableSocieties. Disputed Policy | [282] |
| CHAP. XVI. | |
| The Banker’s Mistress. The elder Napoleon.The deceived Director. The murdered Merchant. The Corn Law Leagueand the Cutler. The Unburied buried. The disappointed Suicide. ANight Adventure | [295] |
| CHAP. XVII. | |
| Scotch Life Assurance. Scottish Widows’Fund—its Directors. North British. The Farmer’s Fate.Edinburgh Life. List of Scotch Companies | [317] |
ANNALS, ANECDOTES, AND LEGENDS
OF
LIFE ASSURANCE.