content: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                Washington, DC 20549
                                   ---------------
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                           SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
  
  
  
  Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)          June 21, 1999
                                                   -------------------------------
  
  
                          Chartwell Re Holdings Corporation
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
  
  
  
  Delaware                           0-28188                       06-143849
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (State or Other              (Commission File Number)          (IRS Employer
  Jurisdiction of                                              Identification No.)
  Incorporation)
  
  
  
  Four Stamford Plaza,  P. O. Box 120043, Stamford, CT               06912-0043
  --------------------------------------------------------         ---------------
           (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                   (Zip Code)
  
  
  
  Registrant's telephone number, including area code  (203) 705-2500
                                                    ------------------------------
  
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
  
  
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
  
  
  Item 5. - Other Events
  
           Chartwell Re Corporation,  a Delaware  corporation  ("Chartwell"),  the
  parent company of Chartwell Re Holdings  Corporation,  entered into a definitive
  Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 21, 1999 (the "Merger Agreement")
  with Trenwick Group Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Trenwick"), pursuant to which
  Chartwell  will be merged with and into Trenwick (the  "Merger").  In connection
  with the Merger  Agreement,  Trenwick  and  Chartwell  have entered into a Stock
  Option Agreement, dated as of June 21, 1999.
  
           On June 22, 1999,  Chartwell and Trenwick  issued a joint press release
  announcing  the Merger,  which is filed  herewith  as Exhibit  99.2 and which is
  incorporated by reference herein.
  
  Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits
  
  (c)      Exhibits
  
  2.1      Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 21, 1999, between
           Trenwick and Chartwell.
  
  99.1     Stock Option Agreement, dated as of June 21, 1999, between Trenwick
           and Chartwell
  
  99.2     Press release of Trenwick and Chartwell issued June 22, 1999.
  
  
  
                                      SIGNATURE
  
           Pursuant to the  Requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
  the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                              CHARTWELL RE HOLDINGS CORPORATION
  
  
                                              By: /s/ John V. Del Col
                                              ----------------------------------
                                                  John V. Del Col
                                                  Vice President, General Counsel
                                                  and Secretary
  
  
  
  Dated:  June 25, 1999
  
  
                                        -2-
  
  <PAGE>
  
  
                                    EXHIBIT INDEX
  
  
  
  Exhibit                    Description of Exhibit
  --------                   ----------------------
  
  2.1       Agreement and Plan of Merger,  dated as of June 21, 1999,  between
            Trenwick and Chartwell.
  
  99.1      Stock Option Agreement, dated as of June 21, 1999, between Trenwick
            and Chartwell
  
  99.2      Press release of Trenwick and Chartwell issued June 22, 1999.
  
  
  
  
  
                                        -3-
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM 8-K DESCRIBING MATERIAL EVENT", "secsgml_size_bytes": 3948}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "CHARTWELL RE HOLDINGS CORP", "cik": "0001012011", "assigned-sic": "6321", "irs-number": "061438493", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-28188", "film-number": "99652209"}, "business-address": {"street1": "FOUR STAMFORD PLAZA", "street2": "P.O. BOX 120043", "city": "STAMFORD", "state": "CT", "zip": "06912-0043", "phone": "(203)705-"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "FOUR STAMFORD PLAZA", "street2": "P.O. BOX 120043", "city": "STAMFORD", "state": "CT", "zip": "06912-0043"}}
text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                Washington, DC 20549
                                   ---------------
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                           SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
  
  Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)          June 21, 1999
                                                   -------------------------------
  
                          Chartwell Re Holdings Corporation
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
  
  Delaware                           0-28188                       06-143849
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (State or Other              (Commission File Number)          (IRS Employer
  Jurisdiction of                                              Identification No.)
  Incorporation)
  
  Four Stamford Plaza,  P. O. Box 120043, Stamford, CT               06912-0043
  --------------------------------------------------------         ---------------
           (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                   (Zip Code)
  
  Registrant's telephone number, including area code  (203) 705-2500
                                                    ------------------------------
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
  Item 5. - Other Events
  
           Chartwell Re Corporation,  a Delaware  corporation  ("Chartwell"),  the
  parent company of Chartwell Re Holdings  Corporation,  entered into a definitive
  Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 21, 1999 (the "Merger Agreement")
  with Trenwick Group Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Trenwick"), pursuant to which
  Chartwell  will be merged with and into Trenwick (the  "Merger").  In connection
  with the Merger  Agreement,  Trenwick  and  Chartwell  have entered into a Stock
  Option Agreement, dated as of June 21, 1999.
  
           On June 22, 1999,  Chartwell and Trenwick  issued a joint press release
  announcing  the Merger,  which is filed  herewith  as Exhibit  99.2 and which is
  incorporated by reference herein.
  
  Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits
  
  (c)      Exhibits
  
  2.1      Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 21, 1999, between
           Trenwick and Chartwell.
  
  99.1     Stock Option Agreement, dated as of June 21, 1999, between Trenwick
           and Chartwell
  
  99.2     Press release of Trenwick and Chartwell issued June 22, 1999.
  
                                      SIGNATURE
  
           Pursuant to the  Requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
  the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                              CHARTWELL RE HOLDINGS CORPORATION
  
                                              By: /s/ John V. Del Col
                                              ----------------------------------
                                                  John V. Del Col
                                                  Vice President, General Counsel
                                                  and Secretary
  
  Dated:  June 25, 1999
  
                                        -2-
  EXHIBIT INDEX
  
  Exhibit                    Description of Exhibit
  --------                   ----------------------
  
  2.1       Agreement and Plan of Merger,  dated as of June 21, 1999,  between
            Trenwick and Chartwell.
  
  99.1      Stock Option Agreement, dated as of June 21, 1999, between Trenwick
            and Chartwell
  
  99.2      Press release of Trenwick and Chartwell issued June 22, 1999.
  
                                        -3-