Union Insurance Society of Canton

The Union Insurance Society of Canton (commonly known as the Union) was a major Hong Kong-based insurance company regarded in the early 20th century as one of the four leading British businesses, or "hongs", of colonial Hong Kong alongside Hong Kong Shanghai Bank, Jardine Matheson and Swire.

By 1953 Union was the leading Hong Kong Insurance company, with assets of £14.4m, over five times that of the nearest local rival, Canton Insurance. In 1967 the Union was acquired by the Guardian Assurance Company which was itself acquired by Axa in 1999.

Notable employees and directors of the Union included William Keswick, William Shenton, Arthur William Hughes, A. O. Lang, Stanley Hudson Dodwell, Percy Hobson Holyoak and John Owen Hughes.

The Union was founded in 1835 by Dent & Co to provide insurance for commercial cargos in Canton following expiry of the East India Company monopoly over trade. Original subscribers are believed to have also included Jardine, Matheson & Co., Turner & Co. and Russell & Co. although early records did not survive the collapse of Dent in 1866. When the ports of Hong Kong opened in 1841, the Union moved its business operations from Macau to become the first insurer to be headquartered in the new colony. Until 1874 the company operated under a succession of limited terms of up to three years, each followed by a liquidation of assets to its members, a practice routed in its origins as a mutual assurance society.

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