The Australian Alliance Assurance Company (Fire and Marine). Canterbury branch, Hereford Street, Christchurch. Head office, Collins Street, Melbourne, This well-known corporation takes up fire and marine lines in New Zealand but in Australia transacts business in life assurance and fidelity guarantee also. It has been represented for over thirty years in New Zealand. The capital of the company is £250,000, of which £125,000 is paid up; the reserve fund amounts to £110,000, and the accumulated revenue to £281,785. Mr. J. L. Scarvell is Chief Agent for the Canterbury Provincial District.

Farmers Co-Operative Fire And Marine Insurance Association Of Canterbury, Limited. Directors: Mr. F. D. S.Neave, chairman; Mr. James Gough, vice-chairman; and Messrs T. W. Adams, S. Bailey, F. H. Barker, W. Boag, R. Blunden, D. Buddo, H. F. Gray, E. Herring, R. B. Holdsworth, W. B. Howell, D. McMillan, H. Overton, H. W. Peryman, J. Rennie, E. P. Sealy, and J. Talbot. Secretary, Mr R. W. Brown, 119 Cashel Street, Christchurch. This company was established in 1891, and conducts fire and marine insurance business, which is to a great extent confined to farm and station risks. Originally the company intended to do business with shareholders only, but its operations have been extended, and lines are now accepted from non-shareholders. The business is conducted on the mutual principle, and bonuses are declared to shareholders in proportion to the amount of business they transact with the company, which has been a dividend paying concern from its inception. The capital is £100,000 divided into 20,000 shares of £5 each; and 14,894 shares have already been taken up, and £49,474 paid up upor. them. The reserve fund amounts to £7500.

Mr. Robert William Brown, Secretary and Manager of the Farmers' Co-operative Insurance Company, has filled that position from the date of its inception in 1891.

The National Insurance Company Of New Zealand. Head Office, Rattray Street, Dunedin; Canterbury branch (Mr. Alexander Carrick, manager), 195 Hereford Street, Christchurch. The local branch of this well-known New Zealand Company was established in October, 1873, and controls the operations within the whole of the Canterbury and Westland provincial districts.

Mr. William M. Joynt, Accountant in the Canterbury branch of the National Insurance Company, was born in Christchurch in 1863, and educated at private schools. After a few years of mercantile life in the city, Mr. Joynt joined the National Insurance Company as clerk in 1885, and was promoted to his present position of accountant in 1898.

The New Zealand Insurance Company (Canterbury Branch), New Zealand Insurance Buildings, 196 Hereford Street, Christchurch, (Mr. A. L. Parsons, manager); Head office, Queen Street, Auckland. The fine brick building occupied by this well-known company is three stories in height, was erected in 1870, and extends from Hereford Street to Cathedral Square, the ground floor fronting Hereford Street, being occupied by the company's offices. The Cathedral Square portion is used by the Lyttelton Harbour Board.

Mr. Arthur Langdon Parsons, Manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company (Canterbury branch), was promoted to his present position in February, 1897. He is referred to on page 1406 of the Wellington volume of this work.

North Queensland Fire And Marine Insurance Company, Canterbury branch, Hereford Street, Christchurch; Messrs. W. Wood and Co., agents for the Canterbury Provincial District. Chief office for New Zealand, Wellington; Head office, Sydney.

Phoenix Fire And Marine Assurance Company Of London (Thomas Wallace, District agent), Manchester Street, Christchurch. The business of the local branch of this old and very powerful office is conducted under the personal supervision of Mr. Wallace.

The South British Fire And Marine Insurance Company Of New Zealand which was incorporated in Auckland in 1872, and is more fully referred to in the Auckland volume of this work. has its Canterbury Branch Office at 170 Hereford Street, Christchurch. The building is a handsome, three-storey brick structure with granite pillars, the ground floor being occupied by the company's local offices, from which the whole of the company's business within the provincial district is managed.

Mr. Charles Henky Croxton, Manager of the Canterbury branch of the South British Fire and Marine Insurance Company, hails from Norwich, England, where he was born in 1855. He was educated at the City of London School, and entered the Bank of Messrs. Barnett, Hoare and Co., in which he continued for four years, before coming out to the Colonies. Mr. Croxton arrived in Lyttelton in 1876, to join the Bank of New Zealand at Christchurch, as a junior, but was subsequently transferred to Auckland and afterwards had charge of the branch bank at Mangawhare. Mr. Croxton left the bank to enter the employment of the South British n 1880; he occupied positions at Auckland and Oamaru and afterwards was inspector for the South Island. He took up his present duties in 1887. In 1879 Mr. Croxton was married to a daughter of Mr. Marriner, of Auckland, and has two daughters.

Standish and Preece, photo
Mr. C. H. Croxton.

Standard Fire And Marine Insurance Company Of New Zealand. Canterbury branch, 177 Hereford Street, Christchurch. Head office, High Street, Dunedin. Branch Manager, Mr. Archibald Scott. From the time of its incorporation the company was represented in Canterbury by an agency, which was raised to the status of a separate branch in 1875, with scope over the whole of the Canterbury provincial district and Westland. Agents have been appointed at all the principal centres of population.

Victoria Insurance Company, Limited ; Chief Office for Canterbury, 175 Hereford Street, Christchurch; Principal office in New Zealand, Dunedin; Head office, Melbourne. The Canterbury branch of this company was established in 1890, prior to which the office was represented by an agency. Mr. John F. Grierson is manager, and Mr. Archibald Ridley, chief clerk.

Mr. John F. Grierson, Manager of the Victoria Insurance Company, was born in Cardiff, South Wales, in 1861, and came to New Zealand in September, 1864, in the ship “British Empire,” one of the largest ships that ever came to the colony. He was educated at Christ's College, and joined the Union Bank in 1876. In 1877 he left the bank and entered the National Insurance Company, where he remained twelve years, and was chief clerk for six years. In 1890 he was appointed manager of the Victoria Insurance Company (Fire, Marine and Guarantee) in place of Messrs Dalgerty and Co., who resigned the agency which they had held for several years. Mr. Grierson has taken a great interest in athletics, having been a member of the Canterbury Rowing Club since 1875, and rowed for it successfully against the Otago Rowing Club for two years. As a member of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club, he won the Champion Cup in Timaru in 1886, page 267 and again in Christchurch, 1894. He represented Canterbury in distance events for five years at the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association's Championships, and represented New Zealand in 1896 at the Australasian championships. Mr. Grierson has been connected with the Industrial Building Societies for ten years, and is chairman of No. 5 Society. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and secretary of the Federal Club; he has also held the position of vice-president of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association since 1889. In 1891 Mr. Grierson was appointed chairman of the Canterbury Fire Underwriters' Association; he held the office for two years, and has since remained on the committee.

Mr. J. F. Grierson.

Mr. Archibald Ernest Ridley, Chief Clerk of the Victoria Insurance Company, Ltd., Christchurch, was born in Gloucestershire in 1869, and was educated in England and in the Colony. Mr. Ridley arrived in Lyttelton in 1881, and entered the employment of Messrs, Dalgety and Co., Ltd., of Christchurch, who were then agents for the Victoria Insurance Company. When the latter established a separate branch in 1890, Mr. Ridley continued in the service of the company. He has been interested in cricket, has been a member of the Lancaster Park Cricket Club, and represented New Zealand during two or three years in intercolonial matches. Mr. Ridley is also a member of the Linwood and Lancaster Park Tennis Clubs.