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Information guides

Discover a comprehensive collection of information guides designed to support maritime and historical research. Topics range from shipwreck sources, classification societies, and passenger lists to the addresses of maritime organisations and institutions.
 
These resources are provided for public benefit are the copyright of Lloyd's Register. The guides may not be copied for commercial use or republished in any way, whether in electronic or paper form.

Explore the guides

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Addresses for further research

A curated list of key libraries, archives, museums and specialist institutions that hold rich collections relevant to maritime, engineering and heritage research.

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Registry of Seaman and Shipping

The Registry of Shipping and Seamen archives provide information, including crew lists, passenger records, and vessel registrations. This guide outlines where to find these records and provides contact details for the relevant institutions.

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Lloyd’s Marine Collection

The Lloyd's Marine Collection at Guildhall Library houses valuable maritime archives. This guide provides a concise overview of these records and how to access them, connecting researchers with this important historical resource.

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The Honourable East India Company

A guide for the records available on the Honourable East India Company (HEIC), the largest merchant company of the late 18th and early 18th centuries, and its ships.

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Information on the Titanic

This guide contains factual information on the Titanic, extracted from the Register of Ships, as well as notes and statistical data from other sources.

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64 shares

An explanation of the terms relating to registering the ownership of a British vessel. 

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Passenger lists

This guide outlines available passenger list records and their locations across North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

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Who is the Lloyd's Register lady?

The Lloyd’s Register Lady has evolved through many designs since the 18th century, yet her origins remain mysterious. This guide explores her iterations and how she became an enduring symbol of LR’s maritime heritage.

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The Maltese Cross

The Maltese Cross is the symbol used to signify that a ship and/or its machinery has been built to Lloyd’s Register class. This guide explains the origin of the symbol.

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Turret ships

This guide explains the origin and development of the turret ship type.

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Classification symbols 1764-1994

This guide traces Lloyd's Register classification symbols from 1764 to 1994, focusing on the years 1911, 1924, 1931, 1951, 1970 and 1991, showing how ship rating systems evolved from simple letter and number combinations to complex notations.

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Mercantile Navy List

An introduction to the Board of Trade publication listing all British-registered vessels over a quarter of a ton and where to find UK reference copies of the Mercantile Navy List.

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The Technical staff of Lloyd’s Register

A guide exploring the evolution of Lloyd's Register's technical staff, including the different types of surveyors (exclusive and non-exclusive) and their later specialisations as technology progressed.