APPENDIX No. 12.

Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping.

Although no records have been preserved—what a mass of knowledge must have been lost during the “dark ages”!—there can be no doubt that from the earliest period, at least during the plenitude of the Maritime Power of the Phœnicians, some means must have been adopted to show that a ship was seaworthy, and, as little doubt, that the relative qualities of ships, in this respect, were classified, and, if not recorded in any public documents, were, at least, well known to all persons interested in shipping. However much the world may have changed, human nature remains the same; and the merchants and Shipowners of ancient times must have desired, as they do now, to know if the vessel in which they embarked, or in which they shipped their goods, was fit to carry them safely: from this desire would, naturally, arise the competition of one Shipowner to have a better vessel than his neighbour, so that he might secure a preference. Nor can I suppose that this natural rivalry was confined, any more then than it is now, to the superiority in strength of hull, but was extended to equipment and speed. Indeed, that such was the case is established by the unquestioned records handed down to us of ancient vessels, including that in which St. Paul made his celebrated voyage of which I have given an account in the early portions of this work.

That the Italian Republics had some sort of classification for their vessels we may feel even more certain, although, unfortunately, throughout all time, no historians seem to have considered shipping worthy of their pen—how strange, considering the part it has played in the history of the world! for we find that they went so far as to stipulate by law that no vessel should be laden beyond a certain depth. It is, therefore, reasonable to conclude that they had means of ascertaining the relative qualities of vessels, and that records of these were kept and made public for the guidance of underwriters, whom we know then existed, and of all persons who required to entrust their lives or goods in them. It would, therefore, be absurd to deny the existence of institutions, till a very recent period, of some sort or another which had for their object the classification of ships, because no account of them has been written or preserved.

I dare say the Ancient Britons knew, among themselves, perfectly well which of their ships were built of seasoned oak, whether the planks were well put together, or fastened with tree-nails or copper bolts, and how they were caulked, fitted, and equipped. Nor is it at all unreasonable to suppose that some sort of record of all these facts was kept for their guidance. It would, indeed, be contrary to the instincts of human nature, where self-interest has always prevailed, if no such notes were taken and likewise recorded.

What particular form the earliest attempts at classification took must be left entirely to conjecture, the first traces of the existence of Register Books devoted specially to this purpose not appearing until about the middle of the last century. The oldest Register Books of which I have any knowledge are those preserved at Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, White Lion Court, Cornhill, and although the series is far from complete, and probably can never be made complete, an examination of them is both interesting and instructive. The earliest book preserved there is dated 1764-5. In it the classes assigned were denoted by the letters A, E, I, O, and U, which seem as now to have applied to the state of the ship’s hull, and the letters G, M, and B, appended, which applied to the equipment. These latter denoted—G, good; M, middling; and B, bad. Thus, A G denoted a first-class ship with a good equipment; and U B denoted a ship of the lowest class with a bad equipment.

The next book, in point of age, here, is dated 1768-9, and, instead of the capital letters A, E, I, O, U, denoting the class of the ship, as in the earlier book, the small letters a, b, c, appear, while the figures 1, 2 denoted the state of the equipment. Thus, a 1 denoted a first-class ship with a first-class equipment; b 2 denoted a second-class ship with a second-class equipment, &c.

The next Register Book in point of age, preserved, is dated 1775, and, in this book, the Roman capitals appear again for the hulls, while the figures 1 and 2 remain for the equipment. This, as far as I can learn, is the earliest book preserved containing the class A 1, which has become so familiar now, just a century from what appears to have been its first adoption.

On comparing the three books above mentioned, the curious fact is disclosed that the 1764 book does not belong to the same series as the 1768 and the 1775 books. The front cover and first pages of all three books are missing, but there is sufficient internal evidence to show clearly that the two later books form part of the series known as the ‘Underwriters’ Register,’ which gradually developed into or rather led up to the establishment of Lloyd’s Register. The earliest of them is supposed to date from 1760; whether the 1764 book is a rival which started immediately after it, or belonged to a Register Society which existed previously to 1760, is not known, but the latter is perhaps most probable. Its existence might, it is thought, have debarred the new Register Book from using the Roman capitals, and it is no great stretch to suppose that the old book had ceased before 1775, and left its successor free to adopt the designation or class A 1.

The book dated 1764-5 furnished the following particulars: Ship’s name, master and owner’s name, ports of trading, tonnage, when and where built, number and kind of guns, and number of men and the class of the ship. In the book dated 1775, the load-draught of water was given, but not the number of men. The Register Book was at this latter date published annually, and the corrections from time to time were posted or stamped in the books by means of type as at present. In the earlier books the revisions during the year, or rather two years—for the books were then biennial—had to be inserted with pen and ink. The following particulars have been for the most part obtained by an examination of old Register Books, but they are necessarily incomplete, as many of the early volumes were lost when the Royal Exchange was burnt down in 1838.

In the book for 1778 a list of ships of the Royal Navy is inserted, also a list of the ships in the East India Company’s service. General meetings used in those old days to be held by the subscribers (then termed members), of whom there were, at the end of 1780, 164. The subscription which at first was twelve guineas was eventually, about 1810, reduced to eight guineas, the funded property of the Register Society having reached 12,000l. For twenty years, afterwards, however, the expenses exceeded the income by 500l. per annum, and the subscription was, in consequence, raised to ten guineas. The particulars in the book for 1788, a copy of which is extant, were much as formerly; but a few curious additions had come to be inserted, such as whether the vessel had deep waists or low counters, and whether American property: and a record was made of the description of timber of which the ships were built, the number of decks, and if the beams were kneed. In 1798, the number of subscribers amounted to 245, and the number of members on the committee, who served gratuitously, was eleven. In that year’s book the Government ships are not inserted. In 1799, a number of Shipowners started an opposition book, termed the ‘Red Book,’ which continued until 1833. In 1824, it would appear that vessels supplied with iron cables did not receive the figure 1 or 2 unless they had hempen cables as well; and then, for the first time, the letters PIC were inserted against them, denoting that the iron cables had been proved. It does not appear by any of the early books we have examined that the class was given for any specified number of years, but it was omitted whenever the ship had not been surveyed within three years. It seems, however, to be an established fact that vessels were allowed to retain the A 1 character for a certain number of years, the number being entirely dependent on the port at which she was built, and varying from twelve years for a London built ship, to five to six years for a north country built ship. After those years had elapsed, the vessel became of the second class, and no amount of repairs or strengthening would enable her to be replaced as an A 1 ship. Here were two principles involved in classification obviously unsound. The first encouraged inferior building, and the second discouraged ships being efficiently repaired.

These and other mischievous tendencies were entirely removed when, in 1834, the two previously existing societies became united in the present ‘Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping.’

The object sought in establishing the existing society was to class vessels according to their intrinsic merits, so as to indicate by the class, as nearly as might be, the efficiency and value of each vessel. The subscription to the Register Book was fixed at three guineas. Rules were published, and surveyors appointed to survey vessels while building, as well as afterwards. The committee of the new register was constituted, as it is at present, of merchants, Shipowners, and underwriters, elected in equal proportions. Eight underwriters and four merchants are elected by the Committee of Lloyd’s, and eight Shipowners and four merchants are elected by the General Shipowners’ Society. In addition to the foregoing, the chairman of Lloyd’s and the chairman of the General Shipowners’ Society are ex-officio members of the Committee.

The Committee of Lloyd’s Register was, later on, still further augmented by the admission of eight members elected to represent the port of Liverpool, two to represent the Clyde, and three the north-east coast of England, one to represent Hull, and one Bristol.

The Register Book for 1834 included both classed and unclassed ships, but the latter were allowed to gradually drop out, until the ‘Register’ contained almost exclusively classed ships. Few particulars at that time were given of the vessels beyond the tonnage (old), the date and place of build, the captain’s and owner’s names, and the port of registry.

The rules as first issued for the building of wood ships were brief and general, but slight reference being made to wood steamers, which were then few in number. The first iron vessels classed in the Register Book were the Sirius, of 180 tons, built at London in 1837, and the Ironside, built at Liverpool in 1838; they had the A 1 class assigned without a term of years, and iron vessels were subsequently classed in the same way until 1854, when rules for their construction were framed, twelve A 1, nine A 1, and six A 1 classes, respectively, being assigned under those rules. In 1863 the mode of classing iron ships was altered to /A\ 1, /B\ 1, and /C\ 1. Rules for the building of composite ships (iron frames planked with wood) were devised in 1867, and the vessels were classed A 1 for a term of years. In 1870 new rules for the construction of iron ships were framed, based on the dimensions of vessels instead of on tonnage as formerly, and the class of iron vessels was altered from the monogram system indicated above to 100 A 1, 90 A 1, and 80 A 1;[318] and this is the mode of classing now in force. But to go back a few years:—In 1841 another register society was constituted at Liverpool, which existed for four years, and was in 1845 amalgamated with ‘Lloyd’s Register.’ In 1863 Lloyd’s Register Book was enlarged, and the registered length, breadth, and depth of the ships were given in addition to other particulars. In 1870, its size was still further increased. The book in 1874 received great additions, and is about four times the size of that issued in 1834. It now contains all British ships classed and unclassed of 100 tons and above, in addition to many vessels of smaller size, and those of other nations which have obtained classification therein, or others of sufficient importance to be inserted. The rules for shipbuilding were in 1874 also carefully revised, and issued with the enlarged book.

The information it contains may now be said to be very complete, for few particulars are omitted which are likely to be required in the ordinary course of business. Steps have been taken to publish the rules in the principal European languages, and I learn that already translations into the French, German, and Italian languages have been completed, and are in the press.

From the current Register Book it will be seen that there are now nearly 3000 subscribers, and there are about 8000 vessels classed, in addition to those of which the class is temporarily suspended, pending repairs or survey, or for some other cause. At the present time nearly the whole of the shipbuilding in the United Kingdom is under the survey of the Society’s surveyors for classification in the Register Book. On the 31st of March, 1874, there were building, under special survey in various parts of the world, 655 vessels of a total tonnage of 543,918 tons to class at Lloyd’s. On the 30th of June, 1874, the number of vessels building under special survey was 660, of a tonnage of 516,109 tons.

The vast amount of shipping, now being built to class in Lloyd’s Register, is doubtless due chiefly to the confidence which the British shipping community repose in the Society’s present rules for the building of vessels, and the manner in which they are administered.

In Italy, France, and the Netherlands there appears to be a manifest tendency towards classification in Lloyd’s Register, and foreign Shipowners, and even large companies—such as the General Transatlantic Company—are submitting their vessels to this Society’s survey for classification, thus placing them on an equality with ships belonging to this country.

During the recent agitation with respect to shipping in Canada, the Canadian Government communicated with the Committee of ‘Lloyd’s Register’ on the project of instituting a Canadian registry, and the following extract from the letter of the Canadian Ministry dated 11th July, 1873, is of interest as showing the high repute in which the Institution of which we are now writing is held in our North American Colonies:—

“The Minister of Marine[319] is not unmindful of the great benefits conferred on the shipping of this country by the establishment of Lloyd’s surveyors at Quebec, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island some years previous to the establishment of surveyors for ‘Bureau Veritas’ in this country, and in making his arrangements for the establishment of a Canadian registry, and the framing of rules and regulations for inspection and classification under it, he feels desirous to assimilate the system under which it will be worked to that of your institution, which is controlled by British sentiment, and has the confidence of such a large portion of the shipowners of the world, and the officers of which possess such great experience in all these matters.”

In judging of the value of ‘Lloyd’s Register of Shipping,’ it is important to observe that it is, essentially, a public body, having no pecuniary or commercial purposes to serve beyond those of the public interest, because (with the exception of a moderate fee to the Committee for their attendance) the whole of its receipts are devoted to the interests of shipping, to the extension of the society’s staff of surveyors, who are now stationed at all parts of the United Kingdom and in many places abroad, the improvement of the Register Book and other matters of public importance.[320]

It is impossible to speak too highly of the value of this great institution. It had its failings, and I recollect that, a quarter of a century ago, I made various attacks upon it through the public press; and, on the ground of its maintaining certain rules for classification, which I conceived were unsound in principle, I declined to classify any of my ships with the society. But all these rules have been long since altered; and when I look back to that time and compare the quality of ships then launched to those of the present day, it is impossible to question the great value of the services this institution has rendered to the country. A ship that would have had an A 1 class assigned to her forty years ago, would now be considered barely seaworthy.

Here we have another instance of the valuable work done in this country without Government aid or interference in any shape or form. A few individuals, for their own protection as well as for the protection of the public, associate themselves together, and, by their organisation, do perhaps more to save life and property at sea than all the laws which have been passed having that object in view. For the success of this valuable institution, its members, and I must add, the public, are greatly indebted to Mr. Thomas Chapman, F.R.S., who has been its chairman almost from its commencement in 1834, and who has devoted the best years of his life, sparing neither time nor labour to raise it to its present high position, while displaying a tact and sound judgment throughout in the management of its affairs rarely to be met with, combined with an honesty of purpose which must ever command respect and admiration. Nor has he lacked able and indefatigable colleagues, some of whom, as, for instance, the late Mr. William Tindall and Mr. Duncan Dunbar, and now Mr. George Marshall, Mr. W. H. Tindall, and others, have been active members of the Committee for a large portion of their lives. But not the least important secret of its success has been its complete system of organisation, and the competency of all persons connected with it for their respective duties, while the many checks upon its various branches tend to keep the working of the business of the society free from those temptations to which men holding responsible appointments are too frequently subjected. For instance, there is a chief surveyor, who has two assistants acting directly under him, and through whom all important reports from the different surveyors must pass, before being laid before the Committee, many of whom know quite as much about ship-building as the surveyors themselves—then all these surveyors are under the secretary, Mr. B. Waymouth, a gentleman of great practical knowledge and remarkable ability. If there is anything wrong, he will be sure soon to detect it; for, during the twenty-one years with which he has been connected with the society, he has gone through the different grades, from assistant-surveyor to chief-surveyor, acting as chief of the staff for some time before receiving the appointment of secretary. There are also annual visits of inspection made to all the principal building ports by the chairman and members of the Committee, the secretary, and chief surveyor. Moreover, the surveyors are not all located permanently, some being from time to time changed, and a feeling pervades the whole staff that if any one passes imperfect workmanship or materials, the fact is likely to be brought to light by the surveyors who follow, who are bound to report any apparent laxity, which is invariably inquired into by the Committee, and dealt with as circumstances require.

That the survey and classification of ships has been of immense advantage in saving life and property at sea may be seen by the following table. Here we see, that the losses of vessels classed at Lloyd’s have not, during the last three years, been one-half of the unclassed, and that for the eighteen months ending 30th January, 1875, while the percentage of loss of all vessels from all causes classed at Lloyd’s has been only 5·25 per cent., the losses of vessels unclassed, or not classed by that association, has been 12·32 per cent. These figures speak volumes in favour of the society.

Losses of British Ships of 100 tons and upwards during 1874-5.

Losses from all Causes, Wrecked, Stranded, Foundered, Missing.
Year.Number of Ships in Existence.Number of Ships Lost.Percentage of Ships Lost.
Classed and Unclassed.Classed, Lloyd’s Register.Unclassed Lloyd’s, Register.Classed and Unclassed.Classed, Lloyd’s Register.Unclassed, Lloyd’s Register.Classed, Lloyd’s Register.Unclassed, Lloyd’s Register.
187411,569611554545931814122·967·55
First half, 187511,362589354693961352612·294·77
Total for last 18 months............5·2512·32
Losses from Foundering, Missing, &c., excluding Stranding, Collisions, &c.
Year.Number of Ships in Existence.Number of Ships Lost.Percentage of Ships Lost.
Classed and Unclassed.Classed, Lloyd’s Register.Unclassed Lloyd’s, Register.Classed and Unclassed.Classed, Lloyd’s Register.Unclassed, Lloyd’s Register.Classed, Lloyd’s Register.Unclassed, Lloyd’s Register.
187411,569611554542811031781·683·26
First half, 187511,36258935469200771231·302·25
Total for last 18 months............2·985·51
Year.All Losses, including Stranding, Collisions, Foundered,Missing, &c.Losses from Foundering, Missing, &c., but not Stranding, Collisions, &c.
Classed and Unclassed.Classed, Lloyd’s Register.Unclassed Lloyd’s, Register.Classed and Unclassed.Classed, Lloyd’s Register.Unclassed, Lloyd’s Register.
187286326260119870128
1873938301637316108208
18741258313945506162344
First half, 18751013273680389118271