The historical collections developed from the donation of original texts on the formation of the Institute of Actuaries in 1848 and of the Faculty of Actuaries in Scotland in 1856. New acquisition of relevant historic texts and manuscripts dating before 1860 continues to this day. In 2006 the Institute of Actuaries acquired the Archive of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, established in 1762 and the first insurance office to operate on scientific lines using actuarial mathematics and mortality analysis.
Subjects represented in the historical collections include:
- early insurance and pensions
- demography (particularly mortality trends of populations)
- commercial arithmetic (application of compound interest in accumulating funds
- statistics and probability theory leading to calculations of life expectation
- the business of offering life assurance and pensions based on 'actuarial' mathematics.
Most texts are in English but there are significant items for actuarial science from France, Germany and Holland. There is also much evidence from insurance offices of the work of 'actuaries' who emerged from the late eighteenth century, those in the nineteenth century forming the first professional bodies, the Institute of Actuaries in 1848 and Faculty of Actuaries in 1856.
The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) also preserves its own archives documenting the professional association work of the original Faculty and Institute since their foundation.
Access to the collection
The IFoA welcomes bona fide research requests to view items in the main special library collections of books, manuscripts and archives by appointment.
If you would like to view items in our collections please contact libraries@actuaries.org.uk. We may facilitate your visits to view items held by the organisations shown above by arrangement.
Please consult our combined catalogue listing of the Books, manuscripts and documents dating before 1901 in the libraries of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries arranged by author or lead title. In enquiries about items, please cite the RKN or library catalogue numbers of items of interest. Researchers may also now search our Library catalogue for pre-1901 items and 'request' to arrange to see items of interest at the IFoA Library by appointment.
There are document listings of the archives in the Equitable Life Assurance Society (ELAS) Archive 1762-1975 held by the IFoA and at Guildhall Library, London.
The historical collections are held in secure locations as outlined below:
| Historical resource | Location | Catalogue access to holdings |
|---|---|---|
| Institute of Actuaries special historical collections (books and manuscripts) |
IFoA London (viewing by appointment) | |
| Institute of Actuaries publications and profession records | IFoA London | Search Library catalogue (for Institute and Faculty publications) IFoA Library searches database to identify and retrieve profession records upon enquiry. |
| Faculty of Actuaries special historical collection | IFoA Edinburgh (viewing by appointment) | |
| Faculty of Actuaries publications and profession records | IFoA Edinburgh | Search Library catalogue (for Institute and Faculty publications) IFoA Library searches database to identify and retrieve profession records upon enquiry. |
| Equitable Life Assurance Society archive, (ca.1762-1833) | IFoA London (viewing by appointment) | Equitable Life Assurance Society (ELAS) Archive 1762-1975, IFoA, London |
| Equitable Life Assurance Society archive, (ca.1830-1950) | London Guildhall Library Apply to London Metropolitan Archives for access |
Equitable Life Assurance Society (ELAS) Archive 1803-1976, Guildhall Library, London |
Related documents
-
IFoA Library special collection books on Fire Insurance: reading list
20 September 2016 -
Books, manuscripts and documents dating before 1901 in the libraries of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries
30 April 2020 -
Equitable Life Assurance Society (ELAS) Archive 1762 - 1975 at Institute of Actuaries Library, London
30 September 2007 -
Equitable Life Assurance Society (ELAS) Archive 1803 - 1976 at Guildhall Library, London
1 November 2007
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Contact Details
For any library enquiries please contact:
We try to respond to email queries within one working day. Researcher access to historical resources may require notice in advance of visit in order to retrieve items from storage.
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Events calendar
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The Growth Mindset for Actuaries
13 October 2021 - 8 December 2021This practical course is aimed at actuaries at any stage of their career who want to develop their own growth mindset and apply it to their work setting and personal or professional lifelong learning. The content of the course builds on the lecture given by Dr Helen Wright on Growth Mindset as part of the President’s 2021 Lecture series, and will be delivered over a period of 2 months, from mid-October to early December.
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ARC Webinar Series 2021: Mortality inequality: what insights can we gain from cause of death data?
Online webinar21 October 2021
In this webinar, we will discuss how cause-of-death data from the Office for National Statistics can help us to understand how inequalities arise at the all-cause level. The key to understanding mortality inequality is to think about the chain that connects risk factors, relative risks, and cause-of-death mortality through to all-cause mortality. -
The importance of biodiversity for finance, business and policy is being increasingly recognised. While many studies highlight the overall economic impact that biodiversity loss could have, it is much more difficult to quantify and understand the particular impact that is may have on individual businesses or communities. The management and measurement of these risks is a field where actuaries are well placed to contribute. -
The climate crisis and the degradation of our planet will affect societies everywhere. How we address these threats will require solutions that transcend borders. As a global profession, the actuarial community is well-placed to consider and propose effective risk management solutions to help manage the climate crisis.
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GIRO 2021 Webinar Series
Online8 November 2021 - 19 November 2021
Join leading experts to discuss key issues, emerging ideas and new research across the general insurance sector. -
What next for Mental Health in Insurance?
1 December 2021
Content will be aimed at all actuaries looking to understand the issues surrounding mental health in insurance and in particular those looking to ensure products and processes widen access for, and are most useful to, those experiencing periods of poor mental health.
In this webinar, we will discuss how cause-of-death data from the Office for National Statistics can help us to understand how inequalities arise at the all-cause level. The key to understanding mortality inequality is to think about the chain that connects risk factors, relative risks, and cause-of-death mortality through to all-cause mortality.
The importance of biodiversity for finance, business and policy is being increasingly recognised. While many studies highlight the overall economic impact that biodiversity loss could have, it is much more difficult to quantify and understand the particular impact that is may have on individual businesses or communities. The management and measurement of these risks is a field where actuaries are well placed to contribute.
Join leading experts to discuss key issues, emerging ideas and new research across the general insurance sector.
Content will be aimed at all actuaries looking to understand the issues surrounding mental health in insurance and in particular those looking to ensure products and processes widen access for, and are most useful to, those experiencing periods of poor mental health.