Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Lloyd's Register

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Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Lloyd's Register

AssociatedAssociated with Lord Mountbatten of Burma (Frogmore House, Windsor, England, 1900 - 1979)

Medallist John Pinches, Medallists

DateMay 2004

Object NameMedal

MediumSterling Silver

ClassificationsMedals

AcquisitionPresented in 2004 by Dr Joan M Burrell.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS072500.48

Keywords

About MeInsurance against maritime risks and hazards was familiar to the growing body of English merchants and shipowners by the middle of the 16thcentury.

The diversification of maritime risks with the growth and extension of oceanic commerce in the 17th century rendered it more than ever necessary that marine underwriters have at their disposal accurate maritime information relating to ships and cargoes. By the 168os, Edward Lloyd had opened his celebrated coffee house in the City of London, and soon the collection and dissemination of marine intelligence became one of the services he provided for his customers. A shipping newspaper was begun, which gave useful information about arrivals and departures of shipping at British and foreign ports, together with news of casualties at home and abroad. The paper first appeared for a short period in the 169OS as Lloyd's News, then reappeared as Lloyd's List in 1734. Lloyd's Register of shipping was established in 1760 and has had a proud record of publication ever since.

The provision of information about the movement of ships was soon supplemented by the first of many schemes to list ships systematically in regularly published volumes, giving the kind of data which marine underwriters would find useful in assessing the risks to which ships and cargoes might be exposed. The earliest extant volume, or Register Book as it was called, covers the three years 1794-96 and gives vital information on many hundreds of ships.

Many shipowners and ship-builders found the early system defective in that London- built vessels were unduly favoured. This discrimination led to a damaging split with substantial numbers of shipowners and merchants setting up their own 'register', known as the Shipowners' Register, or Red Book, as distinct from the Underwriters' Register, or Green Book.

A long war of attrition between the two factions ensued, with the result that neither flourished. Moves towards reconciliation were initiated by John Marshall of Hull, who advocated a committee of enquiry .A new constitution was eventually drafted in which representation was drawn equally from among three interests, the merchants, the shipowners and the underwriters.

This new constitution came into being in 1834 and the Lloyd's Register system of classifying ships has been accepted the world over since that date. For this reason we have chosen to commemorate this date.

Always adopting conservative policies, Lloyd's Register did much to raise the standards of naval architecture and ship building, thus improving the quality of ships and contributing thereby to the safety of ships at sea.

The Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea, John Pinches Medallists Ltd.