Sources for schools
Information guide No.21
This page is approximately a 5 minute read
This guide brings together a range of useful sources designed to support schools, teachers and students exploring maritime history, shipbuilding, seafaring and related heritage topics. It highlights organisations, museums, archives and educational initiatives that offer learning resources, outreach activities and subject‑specific materials suitable for classroom use.
Sources of information on Merchant shipping, shipbuilding and marine history
| Lloyd’s Register Foundation | Heritage Centre 71 Fenchurch Street London EC3M 4BS | +44 (0)20 7423 2475 |
The Lloyd’s Register Foundation is a UK charity established in 2012 with a mission to protect the safety of life and property, and to advance transport and engineering education and research. It is the product of an organisation with a long tradition of public benefit, Lloyd’s Register.
Lloyd’s Register founded in 1760, is an independent risk management and safety assurance organisation,which sets standards of ship construction and maintenance, and provides technical inspection services to ensure these standards are met.
The Lloyd’s Register Foundation Heritage Centre library holds a full collection of the Lloyd’s Register of Ships and related publications, which were published by Lloyd’s Register until 1999 and then by Lloyd’s Register-Fairplay, now IHS Fairplay.
General information on shipping and shipbuilding is available, as well as limited material and references to aid school projects on subjects such as the publication of the first Register of Ships in 1764. Marine casualty information dating from July 1890 is also available. For separate information sheets on the history of Lloyd’s Register, Lloyd’s Coffee House, the Titanic, classification and/or sources held in our library, please apply to the address above.
Addresses
Carthusian Court 12 Carthusian Street London EC1M 6EB | +44 20 7417 2800 | The Chamber of Shipping is the trade association for British shipowners and ship managers. Its key purpose is to provide companies with information on developments that could affect their ability to run their businesses and to promote their interests to Government and other relevant bodies in Britain and abroad. By providing a strong and united industry voice it is able to open doors which would otherwise remain shut to most individual companies and ensures that serious consideration is given at all levels to the views and policies it advances. The Chamber is currently developing an education area on its website and in the meantime features a number of useful links. |
Carthusian Court 12 Carthusian Street London EC1M 6EB | +44 20 7417 2800 | Provides information on all aspects of careers in the Merchant Navy, both technical and non-technical. Phone for a careers pack. |
Park Row Greenwich London SE10 9NF | +44 (0)20 8858 4422 | Museum and Library of naval and merchant shipping history. Also publishes a variety of books and pamphlets on marine history publication lists sent on request. Collections and displays include ships plans, navigational and astronomical instruments, uniforms, weapons, figureheads, seafarers’ records, history of the boat, Arctic exploration. Education Department supplies leaflets and project material for schools, and arranges lectures and guided tours of the Museum. |
c/o The Marine Society 202 Lambeth Road London SE1 7JW | +44 20 7654 7050 | Establishes links between schools and professional seafarers from the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy, who maintain contact with the schools via email as they move from ship to ship. The object is the promotion of interest in seafarers and appreciation of international shipping. The Marine Society website contains useful information, links and the opportunity to order schools packs. |
Baker’ Hall 7 Harp Lane London EC3R 6LB | +44 20 7743 7900 | Authority with jurisdiction over tidal River Thames and dock operation of the Port of London. Co-ordinates cargo handling facilities, arehousing, movements of ships to and from the docks, dredging, salvage and port administration. Literature available includes booklets on the history of the Port of London, pollution control, marine services, PLA police force, and maps and diagrams of River and docks system. Films on port activities and book lists also available. |
217 Africa House 64-78 Kingsway London WC2B 6AH | +44 (0)20 7242 1200 | Concerned with pollution, wreck clearance, port charges, pilotage etc. Member of International Association of Ports and Harbours. Publishes statistics, reports and supplies general information on the Port Industry. |
Tower Hill London EC3N 4DH | +44 (0)20 7481 6900 | Lighthouse and pilotage authority, which also acts as a charity for marines and their dependents. Provides information on all UK light and fog signal installations, including lighthouse, vessels and towers, beacons and buoys; on pilotage requirements. Website features ideas for school projects. |
Tagus House 9 Ocean Way Southampton SO14 3TJ England | +44 (0)1784 473377 |
Ground Floor 9 Marshalsea Road London SE1 1EP | +44 (0)20 7367 4110 | European office of the Japan Ship Exporter’s Association. Publishes international shipping, shipbuilding & trade statistics and annual reports on the shipbuilding industry in Japan. |
Meadlake Place Thorpe Lea Road Egham Surrey TW20 8BF | 0191 567 8965 | Represents the shipbuilding and repair industries in the UK. It exists to further the interests of its members and to promote the industries generally. |
Lime Street London EC3M 7HA | +44 (0)20 7623 7100 | International insurance market and marine intelligence centre. Information is available on work of Lloyd’s and marine insurance business. Historical information available from the archive of Lloyd’s of London includes details of shipping movements and marine casualties, and information on British sea captains (dating from mid 19th Century). All of this information is contained within the Lloyd’s Marine Collection, which is held at:
|
Disclaimer
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.