Lloyd’s Marine Collection

The Lloyd’s Marine Collection forms part of the archive of Lloyd’s of London (the Insurance Market) which is entirely separate to Lloyd’s Register. 

The Collection, which is held at the Guildhall Library, London, includes a complete run of the newspaper Lloyd’s List from 1740 and sources pertaining to ships’ captains and voyages. Brief details of the Collection follow. Please note that insurance records are not held within the collection.

Lloyd’s List 1740 to date (on microfilm, a few early volumes are missing)

A newspaper devoted to shipping news. It lists ocean-going steamers and sailing vessels; gives voyage engaged on, date of sailing and last report. All casualty reports reported to Lloyd’s Register are published in the List, together with Custom House entries, speakings, vessels loading, launches, trials, allocations of Code of Signals, quarantine reports, commodity market reports, reports of inquiries and news items of general interest.

Please note that only the news items are included; the ordinary shipping movements have not been indexed. The database excludes the years 1742, 1745, 1754, 1756, 1759 and 1778, for which the Guildhall Library does not have copies.

From 1838 to 1926 there is an annual microfilm index listing vessels in alphabetical order (identified by name of master) against which dates of issue and column numbers in Lloyd’s List movement and casualties section are entered.

From October 1927 to 1975 the annual index was replaced by a card index known as the Voyage Record Cards (48 hours notice is required for access to the Voyage Record Cards).

Lloyd’s Shipping Index: Voyage Supplement (Later Lloyd’s Voyage Record 1946-1986). A weekly publication listing ocean-going vessels with all arrivals and sailings on the current round voyage.

Lloyd’s Weekly Shipping Index 1880-1917. Ocean-going steamers and sailing vessels are listed; giving voyage engaged on, date of sailing and latest report.

Lloyd’s Missing Vessel Books 1873- 1954. Manuscript records of all vessels posted missing by the Committee of Lloyd’s giving details of the vessel, her master, number of crew, voyage and cargo.

Lloyd’s Confidential Index 1886- to date (30-year embargo). This publication lists owners and their fleets, giving details of sales and purchases, also the company’s lost records; however, as this is a confidential publication, issues less than 30 years old are not yet available for research. (Hard copy 1886-1920, Microfilm 1920- to date).

Lloyd’s War Loss Records- 1st and 2nd World Wars. Manuscript records of all vessels lost or damaged, giving details of voyage, cargo and position of loss.

Lloyd’s Marine Loss Records- 1939- 1970 Record Cards

Details of all vessels lost with full reports as received at Lloyd’s. 48 hours notice required. 

Please see Guide to the Lloyd’s Marine Collection, by Declan Barriskill (London: Guildhall Library, 2nd edition 1994) for further details of the collection. 

Other publications passed to the Guildhall Library, include: 

• Lloyd’s Register of Ships 1764 to date (some missing)
• Mercantile Navy List 1857 to 1979 Board of Trade Inquiries 1850 to 1965
• Board of Trade Casualty Returns 1850 to 1918
• Lloyd’s Register Wreck Returns 1900 to 1970
• Lloyd’s Calendar 1896 to 1970
• A collection of books on shipping
• Lloyd’s Captains Register 1869-1947. Please note that these are now held at the London Metropolitan Archives in Clerkenwell.

Volumes of the Lloyd’s Captain’s Register list all holders of British foreign trade masters certificates, giving full name, place and date of birth, certificate number, date and place of examination, a complete service history showing vessels’ names, capacity in which the holder served (master or mate), and the general area of voyaging.

Casualties to vessels are also shown, together with details of any suspension of certificate. For masters serving in 1869, service details go back to the 1850s, so to compile a service history of any British master or mate holding a master’s certificate, from this date to 1947 is quite straightforward.

Researchers should check availability, accessibility and opening times with the repositories listed before making a personal visit. 

Lloyd’s Register Foundation, its affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective officers, employees or agents are, individually and collectively, referred to in this clause as ‘Lloyd’s Register’. Lloyd’s Register assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable to any person for any loss, damage or expense caused by reliance on the information or advice in this document or howsoever provided, unless that person has signed a contract with the relevant Lloyd’s Register entity for the provision of this information or advice and in that case any responsibility or liability is exclusively on the terms and conditions set out in that contract.