There has been a settlement at Newport Pagnell since before the Iron Age, it being inevitable that a community should spring up at the junction of two rivers, the Ouse and the Lovat, both fordable at this point. It was a town of some importance at the time of the Doomsday survey and by the end of the 12th century was known by its present name–Newport (new town) Pagnell (after Fulk Paynell who was given ownership of the land by William the Conqueror). The Paynells founded Tickford Priory and through this the town grew in importance. By 1394 local burgesses had taken over the responsibility for maintenance of the town market. During the Civil War, Newport was first a Royalist stronghold. The King’s men were routed and the Parliamentary forces took charge, fortifying the town with earthworks, some of which can still be seen on the town Common, Bury Field. John Bunyan was said to have served in the Commonwealth forces here. There is a rumour that Oliver Cromwell’s son is buried in Newport Pagnell but that has never been proven.

Newport Pagnell was at one time the centre of the lace industry, but it was through its importance as a transport centre that the town grew, being on direct routes between Leicester and London and Cambridge and Oxford. By the late 17th century over 180 goods and coach services a week passed through the town and it was well provided with coaching inns. Such was the importance of the coaching trade to the town that the Tickford Iron Bridge and the stone North Bridge were erected in 1810 to cater for the heavier traffic and able to avoid turning over through the river ford when the waters were swollen.

The coming of the branch of the Grand Union Canal in 1817 reduced the reliance on road traffic for heavy goods, but the railways dealt a death blow to coaches and narrow boats. The waterway link had already fallen into disuse when the branch railway line from Wolverton was opened in 1865. The town was by then a busy centre with a thriving coachworks owned by Salmons later the home of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd, a focal point for the local farming industry and to some extent a dormitory for workers at the Railway Works at Wolverton.   Newport Pagnell’s next major expansion took place in the 1950’s when large housing estates were built to cope with the post-war population surge.

This fact, coupled with the coming of the M1 in 1959 and the establishment of the new city of Milton Keynes, has seen the town’s population rise from 4,500 to over 16,000.

Bury Field – the great 185 acre common whose grazing rights are still attached to certain properties in the town still attracts walkers today.

Fire Insurance Records for Newport Pagnell

Until the end of the 17th century fire insurance did not exist. The Great Fire of London in 1666 devastated the city and resulted in many thousands of people becoming homeless. Tradesmen who lost workshops and tools of trade had no means of earning a living and many became destitute. It was not until 1680 that fire insurance first became available when the Fire Office was established. This was renamed the Phoenix Office in 1705. This company was wound up in 1722 and no records survive. In 1683 The Society for Insuring Houses from Loss by Fire was established and later renamed The Friendly Society. This appears to have been wound up some time after 1740 with no records being located but some fire insurance marks (plaques) survive.

In 1696 The Contributors for Insuring Houses, Chambers and Rooms from Loss by Fire by Amicable Contributions was founded. This rather long title was given the name The Hand in Hand Fire Office in 1713 but initially only houses in London were insured.

The next fire insurance company, The Sun Fire Office was formed in 1710 and issued cover for the whole of Great Britain and policy records survive from that date. Two other companies, The London Assurance Corporation and the Royal Exchange Assurance both formed in 1720 competed with the Sun Fire and offered nationwide cover.

When insurance was taken out a fire mark was affixed to the property insured and it was only these properties that the fire brigade would attend to. Early on it was just the very wealthy that purchased an insurance policy but they did insure most of their tenanted properties as well. Later on the proprietors of the houses insured the property and not the owner.

Sun Fire Office records are held at the Guildhall Library, London and exist from 1711 onwards. However other than the policy number for many years they are not indexed. There has been some work undertaken by students and the years 1714-31 and 1775-1787 are indexed. These are the years for Newport Pagnell that I have looked at. If the policy number is known it is much easier to find the property but there are not many fire marks left now and they have become collector’s items.

The policies have been invaluable in helping with my research into the history of houses in the town as they give the name of the occupier in the place concerned, the trade of the policy holder and value of the property.

There have been several notable fires in Newport over the years. The town mill at North Square burned down twice, the Saracen’s Head next to the Swan was completely destroyed in 1880. The old railway station burned in a fire and Coales Mill in Broad Street perished in December 1973. Others include the original Unionist Club in St John Street in 1912 and Gibson’s clothing shop in the High St in 1939. There are of course others and must be some we don’t know about! Sometimes accidentally on purpose!

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