Lambton Mutual Insurance

On October 16, 1875, a group of farmers gathered at the Town Hall in Warwick Village. They were having trouble getting fire insurance. The major carriers felt it was too risky to insure rural properties. The farmers agreed to form their own mutual insurance company. Each policyholder contributed their personal funds to cover losses sustained by the group. Mutual companies have no outside shareholders. They are governed by a board of directors elected from among the policyholders. After paying the expenses of running the company, any surplus goes back to the policyholders.

The East Lambton Mutual Fire Insurance Company served Euphemia, Brooke, Warwick, and Bosanquet townships. The original five directors were all policyholders. They included John Dallas, George Shirley, George Dewar, John T. Eccles, and William Auld. In 1876, they merged with another company to serve all Lambton County. In 1888, the name was changed to Lambton Farmers’ Mutual Fire Insurance Company.

According to early by-laws, only agricultural properties and isolated, relatively safe rural buildings like churches, homes, and schools were insured. Mills, shops, and factories were not. Losses and damages from lightning strikes, including livestock, were covered. Fires caused by threshing were not.

Their first office was in Brooke Township at the home of W. George Willoughby. He was Secretary-Treasurer and Manager of the company. In 1920, the office moved to Watford. It was located on the west side of Main Street between Huron and Front streets. In 1961, they moved to the corner of Main and King streets where they had more room for offices and meeting spaces.

The company suffered heavy losses in the early 1930s when several barns burned down and had to be replaced. In the 1950s and 1960s, many barns were getting electricity and improper installation caused fires. In 1951, Lambton Mutual partnered with the Lambton Federation of Agriculture to educate farmers about fire prevention.

Lambton Mutual has served Lambton County farmers for over 150 years. In 1991, they moved to a large office on the southwest corner of Nauvoo Road and Confederation Line. They now offer a full range of home, auto, business, and farm insurance. There are over 40 employees, and the company continues to grow. Remarkably, there are members of the local insurance industry that can trace their family’s involvement back several generations to Lambton Mutual. The rich connections between Lambton Mutual and the local farming community remain strong.

Community Contributions:

• 150 years providing insurance to the farming community
• Lambton Mutual Scholarship Program: support for students who volunteer in their community, established in 2015
• Partnered with the Lambton Federation of Agriculture
• Representative on the Farm Safety Council, beginning in the 1960s