In the 17th century, London's importance as a trade centre led to an increasing demand for ship and cargo insurance. Edward Lloyd's coffee house became recognised as the place for obtaining marine insurance and this is where the Lloyd’s that we know today began.

From those beginnings in a coffee house in 1688, Lloyd’s has been a pioneer in insurance and has grown over 325 years to become the world’s leading market for specialist insurance. On the following pages you can learn about Lloyd’s unique and colourful past, from its early days in Edward Lloyd’s coffee house, to the historical events that changed the face of Lloyd’s forever.