A caricature of Lloyd's Coffee House from the 17th century. Lloyd's of London, which began doing business insuring ship cargo in a dockside Tower Street coffee house in 1688, has been the very symbol of insurance. In London the Coffee House was unique in the extent to which it entrenched itself as an institution in the social, cultural, commercial and political life of the city. Rumours, news and gossip were carried between Coffee Houses by their patrons and sometimes runners would flit from one Coffee House to another within a particular city to report major events such as the outbreak of a war or the death of a head of state. Coffee Houses were centres of scientific education, literary and philosophical speculation, commercial innovation and, sometimes, political fermentation. But still there were many whose speciality can be described as pleasure and entertainment. *** Local Caption *** 9018