ANNUITIES

The records provide evidence of a typical annuity scheme operated by charities for professionals in the 19th and 20th centuries. The records also have relevance for family and social historians. The annuity case-files provide an insight into the motives of philanthropic individuals who funded the foundation of 'named annuities' while the annuity registers give information about recipients of annuities.

The records comprise the following series:

LMA/4459/M/01 Candidate books

LMA/4459/M/02 Registers of annuitants

LMA/4459/M/03 Occurrence books

LMA/4459/M/04 Annuity account ledgers

LMA/4459/M/05 Registers of powers of attorney

LMA/4459/M/06 Indexes to registers of annuities

LMA/4459/M/07 Annuity case-files

LMA/4459/M/08 Schedules

THESE RECORDS ARE OPEN TO PUBLIC INSPECTION, ALTHOUGH RECORDS CONTAINING PERSONAL INFORMATION MAY BE SUBJECT TO CLOSURE PERIODS

Annuities were perpetual annual payments made to applicants from out of a secure Annuity Fund. The first annuities were allocated in 1844 and they remained a core part of the Institution's assistance until the 1940s. Large donations and bequests received by the institution founded annuities known as 'named annuities' because they bore either the name of the founder, or a name given by the founder. Until 1937, annuities were granted to successful candidates at annual or bi-annual elections. 'SGBI annuities' were founded by the Institution's Board of Management out of surplus income or a special appeal.

The administration of annuities and the records created in the process involved a variety of people including members of the Board and the Almoner's Department as well as the case-secretary and members of the various finance departments. The main group of annuity records have therefore been brought together in this section.