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                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.1
 
                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
 
   
     We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Prospectus
constituting part of this Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form
S-4 of our report dated January 27, 1998, which appears on page 47 of the 1997
Annual Report to Stockholders of Trenwick Group Inc., which is incorporated by
reference in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
1997. We also consent to the incorporation by reference of our report on the
Financial Statement Schedules, which appears on page S-4 of such Annual Report
on Form 10-K. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Experts"
in such Prospectus.
    
 
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
 
New York, New York
   
August 18, 1998