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b"The world\\u2019s first life insurance policy was signed on June 18th, 1583.\\n\\nThe person insured was one William Gybbons, who worked as a meat and fish salter, and the beneficiary of the policy was a man named Richard Martin. Curiously, the relationship between the two men has been lost in the mists of time.\\n\\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly do the maths and work out exactly how much a human life is worth; discuss how, like all good insurers, the underwriters tried to weasel out of having to pay the policy after Gybbons died; and reveal why Ancient Romans used to have clowns at their funerals\\u2026\\n\\nFurther Reading:\\n\\u2022 \\u2018Betting on Lives: The Culture of Life Insurance in England, 1695-1775\\u2019 (Manchester University Press, 1999): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Betting_on_Lives/3wq8AAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0\\xa0\\n\\u2022 \\u2018The greatest surety: a brief history of life insurance\\u2019 (InsurTech, 2023): https://insurtechdigital.com/articles/the-greatest-surety-a-brief-history-of-life-insurance\\xa0\\n\\u2022 \\u2018Life Insurance Day: The History\\u2019 (Beagle Street, 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO-auTZ6fcI\\xa0\\n\\nThis episode first premiered in 2023, for members of \\U0001f334CLUB RETROSPECTORS\\U0001f334 - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 100 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!\\n\\xa0\\nWe'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/retrospectors\\n\\xa0\\nThe Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.\\nTheme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.\\nCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024.\\n\\n\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices"