Lloyd's of London Captains Registers

Date updated: 8/04/2024

1. About this guide

This guide explains how to find a mariner who was active between 1869 and 1947 in the Lloyd's Captains Registers.

From 1869, Lloyd's of London used information supplied by the Registrar General of Shipping and Seaman to create registers recording the voyages of holders of foreign-trade masters’ certificates. These registers were used by Lloyd’s members in assessing marine insurance risks.

Lloyd's Captains Registers can be viewed at London Metropolitan Archives (LMA). The rest of the Lloyd's Marine Collection is held at Guildhall Library.

2. Who appears in the Lloyd's Captains Registers?

You will only find a mariner in the Lloyd's Captains Registers if they were active between 1869 and 1947 and held a foreign trade master's certificate of service or competency.

These certificates were issued by the Board of Trade from 1850 and are available to view on Ancestry.co.uk (see UK and Ireland, Masters and Mates Certificates, 1850-1927).

3. Registers

Lloyd's arranged the information in alphabetical sequence of masters' names.

The Lloyd's 'Captains Registers' are divided into three series

Captains Registers, 1869-1911 (CLC/B/148/B/019/MS18567/001-087) - Volumes 001-015 contain details back to 1851.
Captains Registers, 1901-1948 (CLC/B/148/B/023/MS18568/001-015B)
Captains Register, 1885-1948 (CLC/B/148/B/025/MS18569/001-041)

There are also two supplementary card indexes:

Captains Registers, 1912-1947 (CLC/B/148/B/026/MS18570/001-012)
Captains Registers, 1932-1947 (CLC/B/148/B/027/MS18571/001-002)

4. Indexes

Captains Registers, 1869-1911 have been indexed by volunteers. You can view the index on the LMA Collections Catalogue (go to More Search Options and then Indexes). Please contact LMA for Letters H, R, S and T.

5. Abbreviations and Codes

The registers include a lot of abbreviations and codes. Here are the most common:

5.1. Letter prefixes to master's certificate numbers

C - certificate of competency
S - certificate of service
CHT - certificate of competency for home trade passenger ships
SHT - certificate of service for home trade ships (1st, 2nd, or 3rd class refers to the voluntary examination passed between the years 1845 and 1850)
Col, Can etc - certificate was obtained abroad (i.e. Colonial, Canada, etc.)

5.2. Special qualifications

Ex - Extra Master (someone who has passed the Extra Master's examination and is qualified in higher navigation)
F & A - master for fore-and-aft rigged vessels only
Stm - qualified in the usages of the steam engine.
Crown - before name denotes officer in Royal Naval Reserve

5.3. Destinations

A - West coast of Africa and adjacent islands
Aust - Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand
B - Baltic, Norway, White Sea, Gulf of Finland and Cattegat
C - China, Japan and oriental archipelago
Cp - Cape colonies, Ascension, St. Helena, Natal, Algoa Bay
Ct - Coasting trade, including Holland, Belgium, France from River Elbe to Brest
EI - East Indies, Burma, Mauritius, Red Sea
FPS - France (South of Brest), Portugal, Spain (outside Straits of Gibraltar) Azores
M - Mediterranean, Black Sea, Sea of Azoff, Adriatic
NA - British North America, Greenland, Iceland
NP - North Pacific and West coast of North America
NS - West coast of Denmark
SA - Brazils, River Plate
SP - South Pacific and West coast of South America
US - United States (East coast and Gulf ports)
WI - West Indies and Gulf of Mexico
For - Foreign (not further identified)

5.4. Casualties

Casualties are recorded in blue ink and include a cross-reference to the daily shipping newspaper Lloyd's List. This newspaper is available to view at Guildhall Library.

'Inq' or 'Inquiry' followed by a serial number means there was a Board of Trade inquiry into the incident.

A serial number composed of several digits enclosed within an oval refer to the Lloyd's Confidential Reports. Only reports with serial numbers 500-699 have survived (MS 36855) and can be viewed at Guildhall Library.

5.5. Rank and movement

1851-1869 (pasted in entries):
Ship 's name in ordinary type - engagement as captain
Ship 's name in italics - engagement as mate

1869-1893:
Black ink - engagements
Red ink - discharges
Ship 's name not underlined - engagements as captain
Ship 's name underlined - engagements as mate

1894-1911:
Black ink - engagements as captain
Red ink - engagements as mate (engagements as 2nd/3rd mates in red ink with ship's name underlined)

1912-1947 (CLC/B/148/B/026/MS18570/001-012 only):
Red ink - engagements as mate (engagements as 2nd or 3rd mate have ship's name underlined)

6. Lloyd's Marine Collection at Guildhall Library

The main Lloyd's Marine Collection is held at Guildhall Library. Please see their guide for further information: Brief guide to Merchant Navy material.