Research guide H1: Lloyd's: Lloyd's List: Brief history
This guide gives a brief outline of the history of Lloyd's List, a newspaper reporting shipping movements and casualties, maritime news and other commercial information. It has changed in format and coverage many times since its earliest issues.
Research guide H3: Lloyd's: Lloyd's Captains' Registers
This information sheet explains how to use the microfilm copies of Lloyd's Captains' Registers held by the National Maritime Museum's Caird Library. First published in 1869, the Registers list captains and mates of merchant ships who received master's certificates between 1851 and 1948.
Research guide H4: Lloyds: Lloyd's List Indexes
This guide is an introduction to the indexes for Lloyd's List and how to use them. The List is a newspaper covering shipping movements, casualties and news items, which dates from 1734. It was not indexed until 1838, though indexes have since been created for some early issues.
Research guide H5: Lloyd's Registers held by the National Maritime Museum
This guide provides information about Lloyd's Register of Shipping as an aid to research. The National Maritime Museum's Caird Library has copies dating from 1764 to date. Lloyd's Register of Shipping is an annual list of merchant ships. The earliest known surviving issue dates from 1764. Copies exist almost continuously from 1775 to the present.
Research guide H6: Lloyd’s Register survey reports
This guide outlines the collection of surveyors' reports and plans made for Lloyd's Register between, approximately, 1834 and 1968. At one time held by the National Maritime Museum, they are now available through Heritage & Education Centre - Lloyd's Register Foundation. The reports contain considerable technical detail, chiefly about the construction of ships' hulls, and form the largest-known single collection of ship plans in the world.
Research guide H7: common abbreviations in Lloyd's List and Lloyd's Register
This guide to common place name abbreviations serves as a handy reference for anyone conducting research using Lloyd's List and Lloyd's Register.
Further reading
Lloyd’s Register Survey Reports, on the move!
Lloyd's Register Foundation Heritage Centre article on Ship Surveys collection