Lloyd's Register Of Merchant Ships Index 1843

The transcripts consist of the information found in the original Lloyd’s Register of ships. In each transcript you will find

• Name – the names only include first initial

• Year

• Vessel name

• Registration port

In 1760, a group of customers from Edward Lloyd’s Coffee House in London began a register of ships intended to record information about the quality of all such vessels. It was the start of ship classification. However, when a rival register started in 1799, both registers were brought to the brink of bankruptcy. To avoid such a disastrous end, the two registers merged in 1834, forming Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping.

This index was created from the 1843 publication of Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping, provided by John Dagger. Lloyd’s register was completed annually and this register covers 1 July 1843 to 30 June 1844. During this time, Britain was a powerful trading nation and a leader of industry in the world.

The names found within this index refer to the master of the ship. The master was responsible for the vessel’s daily operation including navigation, ensuring that the ship was fitted out correctly, repairs and overseeing all the cargo. The master also kept the daily logs for the ship and managed the ship’s budget. The original register, which can be found in Google Books, also recorded where the vessel was built, when it was built, its owners and any of its defining characteristics.

While searching the index, keep in mind, that ships often changed names when they changed owners. For example, in 1849, Cunard sold the Britannia to the German Confederation Navy who renamed the ship the SMS Barbarossa. The ship was then fitted with guns and became the flagship of the German Navy.