In the 1700s, Edward Lloyd’s coffee house on Lombard Street was a popular London meeting place for refreshment and lively conversation with business people and workers in the growing maritime industry. Recognising his customers’ appetite for news from ports around the world, Edward posted ship arrivals and departures to keep the daily crowds coming back.
By 1734, what had become a weekly newsletter was now called Lloyd’s List. On its pages, readers could find the latest intelligence from major foreign and domestic sea routes and ports. In 1837, an expanded daily edition was published that also included London loading list and Custom House clearances.