Lloyd's of London Marine Heritage
F2. Maritime Culture, Heritage, Archaeology, Art and MuseumsDefinition
Insurance institution founded in 1688.
The marine insurance market that grew from Edward Lloyd’s coffee house on Tower Street, London, first recorded 1688, where merchants and underwriters gathered for shipping news. It produced the Lloyd’s List shipping intelligence (from 1734), the Lutine Bell (recovered from HMS Lutine, lost 1799, rung historically for overdue-ship news), and the marine policy forms that underpin modern hull and cargo cover. Lloyd’s is now a regulated insurance market, not a single company.
Source: Lloyd's of London; origins at Edward Lloyd's coffee house, recorded 1688; Lloyd's List from 1734; Lutine Bell (HMS Lutine, lost 1799).