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.