We started with a cup of coffee

We owe our name to Edward Lloyd's 17th century London coffee house. Some other organisations also started there, like the entirely separate Lloyd's of London international insurance market. Edward Lloyd helped his shipping industry clientele to exchange information by printing a sheet of all the news he heard. In 1760, the Register Society was formed by the coffee house customers and it printed the first Register of Ships in 1764 to give underwriters and merchants an idea of the condition of the vessels they insured and chartered.

In 1834, the organisation was reconstituted as Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping and the first classification Rules were published.

In 1852, the organisation opened its first overseas office, in Canada, and other offices followed around the world.

In the 1900s we began to apply our expertise developed in the marine industry to other industrial sectors resulting in today's wide ranging services. Our aim is to be the independent third party of choice helping to make the world a safer and more secure place. Because life matters.