This part of our website is devoted to all things maritime, especially in relation to Lloyd’s Register and safety at sea.
Take a look as well at our website pages for our books Jack Tar, Trafalgar, Gibraltar and The War for All the Oceans, as well as the many stories in our newsletters (examples include ‘A Broken Horse’ in newsletter 66, ‘HMS Britannia’ in newsletter 48 and ‘Selsey Scene’ in newsletter 43).
Which Lloyd’s is that?
It can be confusing to have so many names containing the word ‘Lloyd’s’, and in our newsletter 67 we described the main ones – Lloyd’s Coffee House, Lloyd’s of London, Lloyd’s News, Lloyd’s List, Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund, Lloyd’s Register, Lloyd’s Register of Ships and Lloyd’s Register Foundation Heritage and Education Centre. The newsletter piece has now been turned into a blog feature on the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Heritage and Education Centre website. It’s worth checking out for the lovely images alone: hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/blogs/which-lloyds-is-that-exploring-the-many-versions-of-lloyds
We have been writing a variety of stories for the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Heritage and Education Centre website, details of which are given below. The images are often arranged in a sideways sequence, like an old-fashioned 35mm carousel projector display, so you need to click on the arrows to view them all. Keep checking their website for further stories (hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/stories).
The Cospatrick Disaster
The Cospatrick was a three-masted ‘Blackwall frigate’ and in November 1874 caught fire and sank in the Atlantic Ocean. Over 400 people lost their lives, mostly emigrants bound for a new life in New Zealand. The story is here: hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/stories/the-cospatrick-disaster
Donkey Engines
The curiously named ‘donkey engines’ (and associated ‘donkey boilers’) often occur in the context of shipping, traction engines and the logging industry. We have looked at their use in shipping, why they had such a strange name and the dangers of explosions. The story is told here: hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/stories/the-fascinating-history-and-hazards-of-donkey-engines-and-boilers
The Sinking of the Royal George
The 100-gun warship Royal George, the pride of the Royal Navy, sank at Spithead, close to Portsmouth, on 29th August 1782. This was Britain’s worst shipwreck until the Titanic, and the shocking story is told here: hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/stories/the-sinking-of-the-royal-george
Salvaging the Royal George
The wreck of the Royal George became a hazard in the busy shipping lane and anchorage of Spithead, and over the decades it was the scene of salvage and diving innovation, with diving bells, early diving helmets, explosions and souvenirs. It forms a summary of the development of diving and underwater technology and can be seen here: hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/stories/the-salvage-of-the-royal-george-at-spithead
Here Be Monsters
Pictures of sea monsters feature on many early maps of coastal areas, seas and oceans. This is the story behind those pictures – the superstitions, the folklore beliefs and the terror of sinister creatures that mariners and explorers encountered. The story is told here: https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/stories/here-be-monsters-unveiling-the-terrifying-tales-of-sea-monsters-in-history
More stories are in progress!
