Fire destroys Lloyd's Coffee House and the Royal Exchange in London (1838)

On 10 January 1838, a fire destroyed the second Royal Exchange building in London, which had housed the Lloyd's insurance market since 1774. The blaze, caused by an overheated stove, was visible from Windsor. The insurance market moved temporarily to South Sea House, while specific artifacts like the Charles II statue and Grasshopper weathervane survived the destruction.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. The Royal Exchange was founded in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Gresham. Stockbrokers were initially excluded from the building, operating instead from nearby establishments like Jonathan's Coffee-House. Lloyd's Coffee House, opened by Edward Lloyd in 1686, was a significant London meeting place in the 17th and 18th centuries. Merchants discussed insurance matters there until 1774, when the participating members of the insurance arrangement formed a committee and moved to the Royal Exchange on Cornhill as the Society of Lloyd's.

The Fire. The second Royal Exchange building was destroyed on 10 January 1838 by a fire caused by an overheated stove. The blaze was visible from Windsor, 24 miles away. The Royal Exchange had been used by the Lloyd's insurance market, which was forced to move temporarily to South Sea House following the fire.

Surviving Artifacts. Despite the destruction of the building, certain items survived the fire. The Charles II statue survived the 1838 fire that destroyed the previous Exchange. The Grasshopper weathervane was also rescued from the fire and is 11 feet long.

People involved

Sources

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