Sun Fire Insurance Plaque, Chilton Foliat.

I have found another fire insurance plaque- this time on the wall of the old school in Chilton Foliat. I'm not sure if the number is the policy number or the year. The building is a traditional brick and flint construction with a tiled roof ( although I suspect it would have had a thatched roof many years ago as many of the other buildings of this type still have their thatch).

Some extra info on fire insurance plaques.....

Fire insurance marks were lead or copper plaques embossed with the sign of the insurance company, and placed on the front of the insured building as a guide to the insurance company's fire brigade.

They are common in the older areas of Britain. They were used on the eighteenth and nineteenth century in the days before municipal fire services were formed. The UK marks are called 'Fire insurance plaques'. The first to use the mark was the Sun Fire Office before 1700.