Lloyd`s Register of Ships , as it is now known, aims to include every self-propelled, sea-going merchant vessel in the world over 100 gross tons. The information it offers has increased greatly over the years, in particular giving more detail on machinery and other equipment. This page shows when various details were first included, and in a very few cases, omitted. Subsequent sections explain how to read a sample page from one of the 1930s volumes.

Details included in Lloyd`s Register of Ships
Data	Dates	Notes
Name	1764 - date
Previous names	1764 - 1785, 1860 - date	For many years, only the immediate former name was listed. From 1886, former names were included in an index.
Official number	1872 - date
Signal code	1874 - date
Rig/description	1768 - date
Tonnage	1764 - date	Gross, net and under-deck or deadweight tonnages are listed from 1874.
Dimensions
- loaded draught	1775 - date
- length, breadth, depth	1863 - date
Details of machinery
- name of engine builder, machinery time, horsepower	1784 - date
Date of build	1764 -date	Before May 1887 this is the launch date. After May 1887, this is the completion date.
Place of build	1764 - date
Name of hull builder	1860 - date
Yard number	1895 - date	From 1895 this was listed in the List of Shipbuilders . The appendix listed existing vessels built by the yard. Since 1976 this information is included in the main register.
Name of owner	1764 - date
Master`s name	1764 - 1947	After 1920, the name appeared for sailing vessels only.
- dates serving	1887 - 1920
Number of crew	1764 - 1771
Port of registry	1834 - date
Port of survey	1764 - unknown	Vessels classed by Lloyd`s Register only. This no longer appears in the Registry.
Class	1764 - date	Vessels classed by Lloyd`s Register only.
`Postings`	1775 - 1966	Not all surviving registers are posted.
Destined voyage	1764 - 1873	All destined voyages are listed, where known.
Speed	1966 - date
Shiptype	1955 - date	Originally for non-dry cargo ships; since 1975 given for all ships.
Cargo facilities	1966 - date
Lloyd`s Register number		Replaced by the sequential number (also called the IMO number).