Called the last great plague of London, the Great Plague began in the spring of 1665 and ended roughly a year later. Officially, over 68,000 people died, but many believe that the number of plague deaths was closer to 100,000.

During this time, the people of London lived through one unimaginable horror after another. Families died, dead bodies were often dumped onto the streets until they were picked up by the buriers, and the smell of death was everywhere. It was Hell on Earth, and many people thought it would be the end of all times.

10 Hush-Hush

At the start of the plague, when the deaths started to noticeably increase, the outbreak was publicly minimized. This was due to the fact that England didn’t want trade overseas to be interrupted. If news of the plague reached other ports, English ships would be denied entry, and trade would come to a standstill.

However, the wealthier residents of London had a pretty good idea of what was going on, and they packed up and left for the country, hoping to outrun the deadly plague. Other residents simply ignored the early signs of the plague and continued to be as social as ever.

9 Not Allowed To Leave

While the wealthy inhabitants of London were able to get out at the start of the plague, the poor were not as fortunate. As the number of deaths continued to rise, many of those living in poverty didn’t want to risk losing their jobs or giving up their tiny flats. This was the only life they had, and there was nothing for them outside of London.

By the time the death count had reached hundreds per week, more and more of the poor decided to risk everything and leave London for the country. The only problem was that by this time (June 1665), the poor could no longer get approval to leave London.

Anyone who wanted to leave London had to get papers stating that they were free of the plague and were permitted to leave. The lord mayor stopped issuing these documents, and counterfeiters offered fake documents for a stiff fee. Once again, the poor were left to suffer.

8 Shut Up In Houses

One of the Plague Orders by the Privy Council stated that any house containing someone infected with the plague must be shut up. The whole family had to remain inside the house, sick or not, for a total of 40 days. A red cross was then painted onto the door to warn others that the occupants had the plague.

This was a controversial order because many felt that it was an automatic death sentence for family members who were still healthy. Nathaniel Hodges, a physician during the Great Plague, believed that the order increased the death toll, but he was powerless to oppose it. It was for the greater good that those with the plague and those exposed to it be removed from the general population.

There were accounts of entire families with small children being shut into their homes. Sometimes, the parents had to suffer through the deaths of their children. Other times, the parents died first, and neighbors watched through the windows as the children perished, one by one, either from the plague or starvation.

By September 1665, the quarantines could not be held. Too many people were sick and dying.

7 . . . Until They Had The Plague

In a quarantine that went horribly wrong, a family was shut into their home for 40 days because their maid servant had spots on her skin. She got better, but the family wasn’t allowed to leave their home until the quarantine was over and the family inspected. By then, the lady of the house had a fever from being shut indoors for so long, so the family had to undergo another 40-day quarantine.

During the second quarantine, more family members became sick. With no fresh air, no exercise, and being forced to stare at the scenery, it was no wonder that there were health issues.

The family was inspected again, found to be ill, and underwent yet another quarantine. This time, however, one of the people who inspected the home brought the dreaded plague in. Most of the family died.

6 Eyam

While people were being quarantined inside their homes in London, a shipment of dirty clothing was brought to the village of Eyam in Derbyshire. It was sent from London and carried the plague.

People began to get sick in Eyam, and the only way it could be contained was if they quarantined themselves. The village rector, William Mompesson, helped the people self-quarantine so that the plague would not be spread to the other villages. The rector’s wife and roughly 80 percent of the population inside the village succumbed to the plague.

5 Cats And Dogs Slaughtered

Not understanding that the plague was being spread by fleas found on infected rats, a rumor spread through London that it was caused by cats and dogs. Upon hearing this rumor, the lord mayor ordered all cats and dogs to be killed.

Little did he know that the cats and dogs helped keep the rat population down and that by ordering these predators killed off, he would enable the plague to spread more easily. It is estimated that over 200,000 cats and about 40,000 dogs were slaughtered.

4 Syphilis Was Thought To Prevent The Plague

The physicians of the mid-1600s practiced medical superstition. They strove desperately to understand the scientific medical world, but without the equipment we have today, these early doctors were destined to fail again and again.

During London’s last great plague, a rumor was recorded that syphilis was believed to give immunity to the plague, as though the one evil would cancel out the other. While there is zero truth to this old rumor, doctors did not dispute it. In fact, it appears as though many of them felt that the body was better able to “cast off” two sickness at a time, as opposed to being able to fight off just one deadly disease. In their thinking, the two “poisons” would battle each other and leave the body unharmed.

3 Fear The Plague Nurses

With so many people sick, plague nurses were hired by the city to take care of those in need. These women were illiterate and weren’t paid enough to sustain themselves on their own. They had to turn to other methods to produce a livable income, and as a result, both the sick and the healthy feared them.

The women would not only steal from the dead, but they would also help the dying on their way. The sooner a patient was deceased, the quicker the nurse could claim his personal belongings as her own. The nurses were also known to gather the sickness from the plague sores and use it to infect the healthy so that, upon death, they could take what they wanted.

2 People Threw Themselves Into The Pits

The churchyards could not handle all the dead, and pits were dug to dispose of the bodies. Men with carts would roam the streets, collecting the dead and disposing of them without any of the old funerary traditions being practiced.

People were not allowed to visit these pits for fear that they would spread the infection, but people who were already delirious with the plague were seen running toward them and throwing themselves in. In some cases, they would bury themselves in with the rest of the deceased.

1 An Unpleasant Death

Dying from bubonic plague was beyond unpleasant. It took several days for the victim to experience all or most of the symptoms.

First, there were headaches, fever, and vomiting. The patient might shiver uncontrollably. His tongue would swell up in his mouth, and the lymph nodes in his groin, armpits, or neck would also swell. If that wasn’t enough, the patient’s skin would get black blotches, hence the name “the Black Death.”

Elizabeth, a former Pennsylvania native, recently moved to the beautiful state of Massachusetts, where she is currently involved in researching early American history. She writes and travels in her spare time.

Who hasn’t dreamed of a citybreak in London at some point? It is, after all, one of the world’s most visited cities—attracting over 19 million international visitors in 2016. The home of some major global attractions, like Big Ben, the Natural History Museum and the London Eye, London is one of the world’s greatest cities. It’s just a shame that it’s full of miserable people, British food and bad coffee. And doesn’t it rain there all the time?

Despite London’s global fame, far too many people still believe some pretty big misconceptions about the UK’s capital. Some of them were true decades ago, some are simply misunderstandings and others just seem to be total rumors, as false now as they ever were. We’d hate for you to be put off going to London based on a simple misconception, so today we’re setting the record straight and telling you the truth about ten of the things most people get wrong about London!

See Also: Top 10 Most Gruesome Things Hidden Under The Streets Of London

10 Coffee and Tea

Let’s start with the one that puts a lot of American visitors off: the myth that good coffee is impossible to find in London. This one may have been true a couple of decades ago, but the London coffee scene is much more impressive now than it was in 2000. Major coffee chains like Starbucks, Cafe Nero and Costa Coffee can be found on almost every street corner, just like in any other major global city. In fact, both Europe’s largest coffee chain, Cafe Nero, and the world’s second biggest chain, Costa, have their headquarters in London.

Until recent times, those looking for a more specialist coffee experience would have to make a detour to the Continent, but London’s independent and mini-chain coffee scene has grown enormously in the last decade. There are now hundreds of specialist stores dotted across the capital offering thousands of unique coffee concoctions (and providing jobs to many barista millennials), enough to satisfy even the most discerning connoisseur. So no, you won’t be starved of coffee if you find yourself in London!^[1]

9 Bad Food

Britain is infamous for having bland and boring food, so many people think eating in London must be no different. It’s not hard to see why: one of London’s traditional dishes, for instance, is the London Particular. What is it? Well, it’s basically a really thick pea and ham soup—thick enough to stand a spoon in. Yeah.

Fortunately for us, modern-day London is a thoroughly global city. There are thousands of restaurants, from cheap take-outs to Michelin-star restaurants, covering practically every culinary tradition you can think of. But to find London’s best food, you’ll have to take to the street.

London has a centuries-long history of innovative street food that dates all the way back to Medieval times. Back then, most of the city’s labourers would go to a bakery on their break, where they would find everything from doughnuts to meat pies. Today, London’s street food is some of the best in the world—heavily influenced by the city’s diverse population. In modern London you’re just as likely to find a local stopping to grab a pot of curry as you are a chicken sandwich!^[2]

8 Unfriendly People

Ask people around the world what British people are like, and you’ll get a pretty similar response: they’re quiet, they’re reserved, they’re unfriendly, and so on. And Londoners in particular have a bad reputation—even other Brits will say that people in London are rude!

In reality, Londoners aren’t any more unfriendly than anyone else in Britain—or most people in the world, for that matter. A test performed on London’s streets showed that, when faced with an old lady who needed help with her bag, or a woman who had her groceries knocked out of her hands, nearby people were quick to intervene and offer assistance. So no, it’s not that Londoners are unfriendly, but they are in a rush most of the time. London is a fast-paced, global city, and most people who are out in the day are going somewhere in a hurry. This might mean they forget to say sorry as they push past you in the station, but meet them after work hours and they’ll be totally different!^[3]

7 Cramped and Dirty

In 1952, the Great Smog descended on London, killing thousands. It was the worst air pollution event in British history, and news of it spread across the world. It led to new government regulations and a plan to cut the city’s pollution levels, but the city’s reputation was permanently damaged. To the rest of the world, London was known as a dirty, old-fashioned Victorian city, struggling to meet modern standards of cleanliness.

This reputation persists today, though it is entirely untrue. While studies have shown that London’s air still affects people’s health, it is relatively clean by modern standards. In fact, London doesn’t even make it into the World Health Organization’s list of the top 500 most polluted cities. In short, visitors to the city have nothing to worry about when it comes to air quality!

Perhaps more shockingly, London is one of the greenest cities on Earth by area. 47% of the city is green space, so almost half is covered by parks, woodland and other open areas—enough for some people to say that the Greater London Area should be turned into a national park.^[4]

6It Never Sleeps

When someone refers to “the city that never sleeps”, they’re usually referring to New York. In recent years, though, the phrase has also been applied to the British capital, leading to the idea that London is a busy place with a boisterous nightlife—and not the place to go if you have kids with you!

There is some truth to this. Like any other city, London can be boisterous—especially at the end of the week, when the city runs all-night bus services. The famous London black taxis work all hours, and many London clubs don’t close until 3am or 4am. But even in central London, the Tube and regular bus services end at midnight and don’t start up again until the early morning. Most pubs close before midnight and at that point, the vast majority of Londoners will be heading to bed. In London’s quieter outer boroughs, you could even forget you’re in a city at all!^[5]

5 It’s Expensive

London is expensive. It is actually one of the most expensive cities in the world… if you want to live there. Rent for an average three-bedroom apartment in central London stretches above £5000 ($6,450), way outside the pay range of most British adults. The rumours of London’s high prices put many people off, but it is possible to enjoy London on a small budget. You don’t even have to look too hard!

You can have a day out in London and hardly spend any money: Most of London’s world-leading museums are free to enter, as are its fantastic art galleries and parks. And the places which do charge admission aren’t too expensive: a ticket to visit Kew Gardens, the world-leading botanic garden, is just £12 ($15.50). There are thousands of pubs and restaurants in the capital which aren’t any more expensive than they are in the rest of Britain. If you’re willing to take a risk, you can find food for mega-cheap. Ask around, the locals will quickly tell you the best places. Just don’t expect to find much budget food in Kensington or Chelsea.^[6]

4 No-Go Zones

Unfortunately, one of the more recent misconceptions about London is that some areas of the city are ‘no-go zones’, places where so-called ordinary Londoners—even members of the police—never go. In extreme cases, some conspiracies say these are places where British law is ignored and locals are forced to follow Sharia Law by Muslim councils.

While all cities have areas that are best avoided at night, the idea that parts of the capital are too dangerous for the Metropolitan Police to visit are false, despite the ramblings of some people on the internet. This misconception became widespread in 2016, when Donald Trump claimed there were no-go zones in London. This was rejected by then-mayor Boris Johnson, who said “London has a proud history of tolerance and diversity and to suggest there are areas where police officers cannot go because of radicalisation is simply ridiculous. Crime has been falling steadily in both London and New York—the only reason I wouldn’t go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump.”

Just to prove it, a British man accepted a Reddit challenge to walk through one of these rumoured areas while drinking a bottle of wine. Unsurprisingly, nothing happened to him.^[7]

3 The Underground Is The Only Way To Travel

The London Underground (also known as the Tube) is one of London’s most famous landmarks. It was first opened in the 1860s, making it the oldest underground passenger railway in the world. And with millions of people using it every single day, it is also one of the world’s busiest.

On the other hand, London is—quite famously—not built on a grid, unlike many more modern cities. When the city burned down in 1666, it was actually rebuilt following the old road system, meaning that some streets in the city are hundreds of years old. This means the city is not optimised for traffic: driving through by car can be torture.

With this in mind, it’s easy to see why many people think the Tube is the only way to travel around London, but there are a wide range of other options. Take London’s famous red buses, for instance. You’ve probably seen these in old films, but they still exist: they carry millions of people across the city every day—more than any other bus network in Europe. There’s also the famous black cab service, whose drivers have to take a tough training course called The Knowledge, which teaches them the layout of London. If you prefer to get around on your own, though, your best bet are the Santander Cycles. Affectionately known as Boris Bikes, you can ride one of these bikes from one of the hundreds of stations across the city to any other station for just £3 ($3.87).^[8]

2 It’s Always Wet and Cold

Britain is well-known for its grey weather and rainy days. So most people assume that London, as the British capital, must be no different!

Now, no-one’s going to say the UK is a warm country. Winter in Scotland and North England can be very harsh, and summer is often dominated by cloudy days. But London is in the south, and the temperatures there are much warmer. London is slightly colder than New York on average, but it still remains way above freezing through most of the winter months.

And contrary to popular belief, London is nowhere near as rainy as you might imagine. It averages around 23 inches of rain a year, almost half as much as New York! Precipitation is low through the winter, too: snow is so rare in London that, in the UK, if it snows on Christmas day in the capital, it’s known as a ‘white Christmas’.

We’re not saying you should pack just a t-shirt and shorts for your London visit, but nor will it be as dreary and wet as you expect. In the summer, you might even see a blue sky!^[9]

1 The City of London?

If someone told us they were going to visit the City of London, we wouldn’t bat an eyelid. But true Londoners know there’s a problem with this statement: do they mean Greater London—the hulking metropolis we’re all familiar with—or the tiny, independent local authority in the heart of London, which has a population of just a few thousand?

The smallest dot on a map covers what was Roman London. It is almost wholly independent from Greater London, having its own police force, government and mayor. So is this the true heart of Britain, the place where the big decisions are made? No, that’s the other city—the City of Westminster, which is home to the UK’s Houses of Parliament.

Does that mean the City of London is the home of London’s government, then? No. The mayor of Greater London—an entirely different position to the mayor of the City of London—governs from City Hall, which is located across the river in Southwark. It’s easy to see how even Londoners get confused by London’s inner workings!

Oh, and just to make things even more confusing: Greater London isn’t even a city. It’s a county.^[10]

Have you been to London? Yes? Been on the London Eye? Of course, you have. Seen the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London? Yeah, we guessed as much. But have you visited the “hidden gems” of London that we list below?

If you haven’t been to England’s capital, take a trip (once it is safe to do so) to one of these places instead of joining the hordes of tourists at the usual spots. Some of these locations aren’t strictly open to the public, but most are . . . or, at least, they have guided tours.

The ones that aren’t open to the public? We’re sure you’d get to see them if you asked someone nicely. Enjoy!

Top 10 Misconceptions About London

10 The Foreign And Commonwealth Office

This beautiful building is a must-see for lovers of grand spaces. The Grand Staircase is truly breathtaking, replete with marble columns, gold leaf accents (that are for once used sparingly for maximal effect), and neoclassical frescoes.

An international competition was held in 1856 to create the design of the building. Although his submission came in third, chief architect George Gilbert Scott was appointed to do the job. He is responsible for the overall design of the Foreign Office, but another architect, Matthew Digby Wyatt, also contributed to the project.^[1]

Scott agreed to let Wyatt design and build the interior of the India Office. Already the India Office’s surveyor, Wyatt also created the spectacular Durbar Court, an architectural masterpiece that opened to the sky. In 1868, two years after construction was completed, they added a roof to the court that gave the illusion of an open sky but protected against bad weather.

You may decide to skip visiting the nearby Buckingham Palace and spend an extra hour or two marveling at this lesser-known architectural nirvana. In London, other famous institutions, including the various museums and theaters, are designed for educational or entertainment purposes, but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is a working office with actual diplomats.

If you think a guided tour of your local DMV or Passport Office sounds as dull as ditchwater, you’re right. But we wouldn’t mind getting a guided tour around the FCO.

Nearest Tube Station: Embankment

9 The Clermont Club

Who doesn’t like a flutter? What’s more exciting than putting the company payroll on red? The interior of this casino, like a real-life James Bond movie set, that’s what!

However, don’t think you can just walk in and lay a fiver on the house at the Punto Banco table—it’s members only. For over 40 years, the high society gamblers of London frequented the casino, which is contained in an 18th-century townhouse built by William Kent.

Located in the swanky Mayfair area, this place is synonymous with opulence and wealth. Although the Clermont Club closed in 2018 due to financial difficulties, it’s set to reopen in 2020.^[2]

Despite the barrier to entry, many guided tours will take you to the historic Berkeley Square. Ghost tours often make a stop at No. 50, “the most haunted house in London,” which is a few doors down from the Clermont Club (No. 44).

So, before hearing the spine-chilling tales of the haunting at No. 50, take a quick peek through the windows of No. 44—a brief glimpse of Heaven before descending into Hell!

Nearest Tube Station: Green Park

8 Middlesex Hospital Chapel

Middlesex Hospital was closed in 2005, and most of it was torn down in 2008. However, the chapel remained and with good reason—it’s amazing. The Fitzrovia Chapel is a Grade II* listed building, which means it’s a protected structure that can’t be altered or demolished without authorization from the local planning authority.

The chapel is now flanked by 21st-century office blocks and flats—a lone island of beauty in a sea of banality. After a £2 million restoration, the historic chapel looks as beautiful as it ever did.

The mosaic decorations are reminiscent of Eastern Orthodox churches. Beautiful stained glass windows and restored lighting really make this chapel a welcome haven in an increasingly frenetic city.^[3]

Nearest Tube Station: Goodge Street

7 Sir John Soane’s Museum

Sir John Soane (1753–1837) was an extraordinary guy. He was a star architect of the Regency era before becoming a professor of architecture at the Royal Academy. His museum is even more amazing. Housed in Nos. 12, 13, and 14 in the historic Lincoln’s Inn Fields—buildings which Soane purchased and rebuilt himself—the museum has become a shrine to architectural excellence.

It’s a weird experience to look at architecturally impressive exhibits in such a magnificent space, but it works. Fortunately, you can enjoy this place whenever you like . . . after the pandemic, of course. Until then, check out the amazing website for a taster.^[4]

Nearest Tube Station: Holborn

6 The Royal Courts Of Justice

This court building is inspiring if you’re a visiting tourist and scary if you’re filing an appeal against your 20-year sentence. Either way, most people don’t know you can pop inside this imposing structure for a gander.

Some have suggested that the interior is ecclesiastical in nature, but we think it’s palatial. You get a real sense of imperial might here, including the weight of the decisions being made when you step into the vaulted Great Hall.

Designed by noted Gothic Revivalist G.E. Street (1824–1881), the building took over eight years to complete and was opened in 1882 by Queen Victoria. The Bear Garden, which isn’t a garden and doesn’t house any bears, is a series of small rooms and antechambers where prehearing dealings take place.

The novel name comes from the combative nature of deliberations that take place in the rooms. Ironically, it’s reminiscent of the illegal practice of “bearbaiting.” Despite the questionable nature of the name, the rooms are beautifully designed, just like the rest of this daunting yet captivating building.^[5]

Nearest Tube Stations: Temple, Chancery Lane, Holborn

10 Unsolved Mysteries From London

5 Masonic Temple At The Andaz Hotel

To call this a “hidden gem” was once true in a literal sense. A previous owner of the Andaz London on Liverpool Street didn’t know the temple existed because it was hidden behind a thin fake wall.

The design was inspired by ancient Greece and constructed with 12 types of marble imported from Italy. Being attached to East London’s busiest transport hub allows for guests to access the city from the hotel. But with this incredible temple, nobody would blame you for not leaving!

If, as many believe, Jack the Ripper was a Freemason, this probably was his lodge. Don’t let that stop you from visiting, though, as many events are held at this gorgeous space—product launches, weddings, private dinners, and burlesque shows. HBO also used the Masonic Temple for their Game of Thrones pop-up restaurant in 2015. There’s always something cool to attend in one of London’s coolest hidden spaces.^[6]

Nearest Tube Station: Liverpool Street

4 Drapers’ Hall

This building is the home of . . . wait for it . . . “The Master and Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Guild or Fraternity of the Blessed Mary the Virgin of the Mystery of Drapers of the City of London,” more commonly known as the Drapers’ Company. An ancient and venerable organization founded during the Middle Ages, the Drapers’ Company has served as one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London.

What does this mean?

They’re an old company that used to act as a sort of trade association representing wool and cloth merchants from London. Today, the Drapers’ Company is a charitable organization that operates from one of London’s hidden architectural gems.^[7]

As a hirable venue, you can get married here or hold a dinner party or a charitable event. Given the awe-inspiring chandeliers, marble statues, and ornately decorated plaster ceilings, you can guarantee that your party will be the best in town. James Bond movie GoldenEye, Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, and the award-winning The King’s Speech all filmed in this lesser-known landmark. Not bad for a bunch of folks who used to peddle itchy sweaters.

Nearest Tube Station: Bank

3 Crossness Pumping Station

Crossness Pumping Station feels more like a cathedral than a pumping facility. We can see why steampunk is an alluring aesthetic trend; the Victorians knew how to wow with their architectural creations and innovations. The Crossness Pumping Station is a veritable place of worship for the might of England’s industrial revolution.^[8]

The building housed great pumps to help clean the polluted waters of the River Thames. The facility was created due to various cholera outbreaks as well as the “Great Stink” of 1858. The Crossness Pumping Station saved countless lives from cholera outbreaks alone.

The beautiful ironwork, finely repainted, is reminiscent of arts-and-crafts-era wallpaper. This place is proof that the highly utilitarian aspect of civilization needn’t be devoid of beauty.

Nearest Tube Station: No Tube, but Abbey Wood train station is nearby

2 The Princess Louise

Is there anything more English than a good pub?

Lots of things, probably, but the good old boozer is pretty darned English! This little nook of Bacchanalian worship in London is a cool place to get drunk the Victorian way—chatting with an interesting, mustachioed artisan over a few jars of room-temperature ale. (The mustachioed bloke will probably be a hipster whose craft will be T-shirt printing but close enough.)

The interior of the Princess Louise demands your attention—it even includes marble urinals for its male patrons. The whole space is a step back in time for those who need a drink. It provides an experience that will delight and excite.^[9]

Nearest Tube Station: Holborn

1 Harrow School

Remember cramming into a smelly, cold gymnasium and sitting cross-legged on the hard floor while being forced to listen to a head teacher drone on about something incredibly dull? Or, if you live stateside, huddling on a bleacher while being told that sex and drugs are not cool?

It’s a little different at Harrow School. In addition, they’ve produced a clutch of world leaders, Nobel laureates, and kings. Still going strong since it was established in 1572, Harrow is one of the most prestigious schools in the world.

This school really does give Hogwarts a run for its money. The incredible Speech Room is a real highlight. In the paneling of the Fourth Form Room, another cool thing is the multitude of crudely carved names left there by former pupils like Anthony Trollope, four prime ministers, and William Henry Fox Talbot.

Talbot was a pioneer in photography whose student science experiments at Harrow were so destructive that the school’s insurance company refused to cover any building in which he was working.^[10]

Nearest Tube Station: Northwick Park

Top 10 Most Gruesome Things Hidden Under The Streets Of London

About The Author: CJ Phillips is a storyteller, actor, and writer living in rural West Wales. He is a little obsessed with lists.

Although arguably the most famous insurance company in the world, its influence widely noted throughout history, Lloyd’s of London is really not an insurance company at all. It is an insurance market, in which its brokers write policies in which syndicates and other parties (called names) share the financial risks of various ventures. Born in a London Coffee House in the 17th century, it remains steeped in tradition and history, though modern business practices have rendered many of its formal practices, if not obsolete, certainly quaint.

Over the centuries Lloyd’s has developed a reputation for integrity and for its ability and willingness to insure virtually anything. Since the 18th century ships ventured forth, investors in their voyages protected by the financial umbrella offered by Lloyd’s underwriters. The famed clipper ship Cutty Sark once sailed under Lloyds’ protection, in the 20th century a whiskey company of the same name used Lloyd’s to protect another venture, wholly different from the perils of the sea. Here are some of the more unusual, even bizarre, items insured by the venerable Lloyd’s of London, and some examples of the company honoring the claims of the insured.

10. Body parts

A wise craftsman recognizes the role of his tools in achieving success. In the case of Keith Richards, guitarist and songwriter for the legendary band the Rolling Stones, his hands are tools critical to his storied career. Gnarled, twisted, scarred, and arthritic, Richards’ hands are insured by Lloyd’s, and according to then President of Lloyd’s North America Hank Watkins (2016), had been for a long time. Insuring body parts critical to success is nothing new. During World War II actress/dancer Betty Grable, who displaced Rita Hayworth as the number one pin-up girl among American soldiers and sailors, insured her legs for $1 million. “I have got two reasons for success and I’m standing on both of them”, Grable said.

Irish dancer Michael Flatley insured his legs too, though not for the same reasons as Betty Grable. Lloyd’s covered the risk. They also insured singer Tom Jones’s chest hair, in case it should somehow be lost, adversely affecting his earning ability. Bette Davis, whom singer Kim Carnes lauded for her eyes, chose instead to insure her waistline (21”). Dolly Parton was long reported to have insured a pair of assets through Lloyd’s, though she later denied the claims. She explained them as a rumor arising over comments she made regarding Grable’s famously insuring her legs. Tom Jones likewise denied his chest hair was insured, though as a publicity stunt one never knows.

9. Automobile insurance

Though other insurance companies dispute them, Lloyd’s claims to have issued the first automobile insurance policy in 1904. At the time, the item being insured was described, not as an automobile, but as a “ship navigating on land”. That phrase was used to describe the subject of the policy, which was identified as a motor car. Yet according to the Insurance Journal, Travelers Insurance sold an automobile insurance policy to a Dr. Truman Martin of Buffalo, New York, in 1898. Dr. Martin owned one of the approximately 4,000 “motor cars” on American roads at the time.

Another source assigns the first auto insurance policy to Travelers, but claims it was issued in Dayton, Ohio, in 1897, providing automobile owner Gilbert Loomis with $1,000 in liability coverage. Travelers’ website claims its first policy in 1897 without specifying where and to whom it was issued. So, who knows?

Lloyd’s, justifiably famous for marine insurance at the turn of the 20th century, resorted to nautical language in its early non-nautical policies, and in 1910 formed the Non-Marine Underwriters Association to address the emerging markets of automotive and aviation insurance. In 1919, Lloyd’s underwriter Cuthbert Heath formed the British Aviation Insurance Association. In 1927 Heath wrote a policy for Lloyd’s covering Charles Lindbergh’s New York to Paris flight. The early aviation insurance policy would have provided its beneficiaries $18 thousand, had Lindy not proved so Lucky.

8. Bruce Springsteen’s voice

Whether one is a fan of the Boss or not, one is likely to admit his singing voice, while distinctive, does not rank with the great voices of all time. Pavarotti he is not. Nor Sinatra, though Bruce is reportedly an unabashed fan of his fellow Jersey boy. Springsteen’s reputation was built through his hard-working, hard-rocking, E-Street Band, and his songwriting, with its empathy for the common man.

Rolling Stone magazine called Springsteen the “Voice of the Decade” in a retrospective article published in November, 1990, though they referred to his message rather than his singing voice, which could hardly be called mellifluous. Regardless, Bruce Springsteen’s voice was insured by Lloyd’s against the possibility of loss or damage which would inhibit his singing.

The Boss is certainly not the only performer to insure his vocal cords against potential loss of singing ability. Rod Stewart, Bob Dylan, and Mariah Carey all allegedly insured their voices; in the case of the latter she also insured her legs. Evidently Pavarotti did not purchase voice insurance, strangely, since as a young man he sold insurance, in part to help pay for voice lessons.

7. Troy Polamalu’s hair

Troy Polamalu, though of American Samoan descent, was born and raised not in that US territorial possession but in Southern California and Oregon. He excelled in football (as well as basketball) in high school and entered the University of Southern California in 1999. At some juncture during his college career he quit having his hair cut. He drew sufficient attention from the NFL to be chosen in the first round of the 2003 draft, the 16th overall pick, by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Beginning in the 2003 season, Polamalu drew attention for both his on field performance and for the steadily increasing length of his hair. He claimed to have not had a haircut since 2010. His growing hair and notoriety as a hard-hitting defensive back led Head and Shoulders Shampoo to hire Polamalu to market their product in television and print commercials. In 2010 Proctor and Gamble, manufacturer of Head and Shoulders products, insured Polamalu’s hair for $1 million with Lloyd’s.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the amount of insurance on Polamalu’s locks was a world record. In 2013 the football star dropped Head and Shoulders and endorsed a competitive product. He later returned to endorse the Proctor and Gamble product, though whether his Samoan Warrior hairstyle remains insured by Lloyd’s is uncertain.

6. The Taylor-Burton diamond

During their high-visibility relationship, which included two marriages and divorces, numerous public squabbles, and more than one interloper on both sides, actor Richard Burton became notorious for the jewelry which he lavished upon Elizabeth Taylor. There were many stunning pieces. In 1968 he gave Taylor a 33+ carat diamond, formerly owned by Vera, wife of steel magnate Alfred Krupp. That rock was more or less daily wear for the actress. She wore it set as a ring, usually on her right hand.

The most famous of the diamonds given to Taylor by Richard Burton was the stone known as the Taylor-Burton diamond, 69.42 carats, which he acquired in 1969. Burton had the diamond fitted into a necklace, in part to help cover Elizabeth’s tracheotomy scar. Ms. Taylor deemed it appropriate to wear at the 40th birthday celebration for Princess Grace of Monaco. She thoughtfully wore the Krupp diamond as well, no doubt in Princess Grace’s honor. The Burton’s took out insurance on the mammoth stone, through Lloyd’s, which added stipulations to its wear in public.

Lloyd’s stipulated the diamond could only be worn in public when armed security guards were available, and limited its number of appearances per year. The stone was insured for $1 million. After acquiring the diamond Taylor and Burton were divorced, subsequently remarried, and divorced a second time. Following the second divorce Taylor sold the diamond in 1979 to a New York jeweler.

5. The Hindenburg

The German airship Hindenburg is primarily remembered today for the dramatic manner in which it blew up in Lakehurst, New Jersey, in 1937. It did so on film, accompanied by a frantic broadcast describing its destruction, and is since a symbol of complete disaster. The incident was doubly stunning because up until then, Hindenburg had a reputation of reliable and comfortable transatlantic transportation, rivaling that of ocean steamers in comfort, but considerably faster. The preceding year, its first in scheduled service, Hindenburg made 10 crossings of the Atlantic without incident. Airships seemed poised to claim a prominent share of transatlantic traffic.

Although heavier than air service was much faster than the airships, with Pan American Airways flying their Clippers from Europe to the United States, the airships offered luxurious accommodations the airplanes could not. Germany’s Zeppelin Airline Company operated two zeppelins between Europe and the Americas before the Hindenburg disaster, which along with German aggression in Europe spelled the end of commercial lighter than air passenger flights. The 36 dead from the Hindenburg disaster, the exact cause of which has never been determined, were the only casualties of the transatlantic airship era.

The Germans had insured their operations through Lloyd’s, appropriately since they followed a model built around maritime operations. That itself is no surprise given the British company’s long experience providing transoceanic insurance. Despite the lack of a finding of liability for the disaster, Lloyd’s paid the claims for the loss of the Hindenburg, almost $80 million in today’s dollars. A copy of the ten page insurance document can be seen at the New York City Fire Museum in Manhattan.

4. America Ferrera’s smile

Actress America Ferrera first achieved fame for her portrayal of Betty Suarez in the television comedy Ugly Betty, a role she held from 2006 through 2010. Among the affectations of the role were unkempt hair and eyebrows, and the scourge of teenage dental care, a full set of braces. Betty, though, was not a teenager, but a young woman in her early twenties, trapped by her job in the world of high fashion.

Despite her appearance in her role as Betty Suarez, or maybe because of it, America Ferrera found herself in demand for an advertising campaign for a teeth whitening product in 2008. Aquafresh White Trays, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline hired Ms. Ferrera to model her smile, sans Betty’s braces, with a portion of the profits going to Smiles for Success, which supports women unable to afford dental care. To minimize the risk of losing America’s smile, it was insured, for $10 million.

To provide the insurance the group turned to Lloyd’s, which underwrote the smile of an actress who gained her fame through a smile featuring braces prominently. The insurance covers the actress’s teeth and gums, and in essence provides her with full coverage dental insurance for the duration of the policy. Dental insurance is, after all, at least more commonly encountered than chest hair insurance, and it is really the association with Ugly Betty’s braces more than America Ferrera’s smile which renders the policy unusual.

3. RMS Titanic

In the 1997 film Titanic, a Renault automobile plays a prominent role. It serves as a place of, shall we say, temporary sanctuary for Rose and Jack while deep in the hold of the ship. There really was a Renault of similar appearance on the ill-fated ship, a luxury model known as Type CB Coupe de Ville, owned by William Carter. Mr. Carter survived the sinking of the Titanic, as did his family traveling with him. His automobile did not, though it served as the inspiration and scene for an impassioned handprint as the fictional version of the sinking began.

The real-life Mr. Carter filed a claim for the loss of his vehicle, with White Star Lines, owner and operator of the Titanic. They passed it on to their insurer, which honored the claim, as it did for all of the claims submitted in the aftermath of the loss of the ship. Mr. Carter received $5,000 in compensation for his lost car, paid to him by Lloyd’s, which had underwritten the vehicle through its insurance of the ship.

White Star paid a premium of roughly £7,500 ($1.13 million today) to ensure Titanic and its contents on its maiden voyage, the risk spread out among several of its syndicates. It paid out over £1 ($152 million) in the aftermath of the disaster, though pay it did, with nearly all claims paid in full within 30 days of the loss of the ship. The speed with which claims were paid is yet another  stunning fact of the Titanic disaster, at least when looked at from the perspective of the 21st century.

2. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was much more than just a massive seismological event. It was an earthquake, of course. It was also a major urban conflagration along the lines of the more famous Chicago Fire. It was a complete breakdown of emergency services, an urban crisis in the days when the federal government had no means of rendering assistance beyond the use of the military. And many of the insurance companies providing coverage for damages in the region were financially incapable of honoring their obligations.

Even today most insurance policies do not cover earthquake damage. But following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Lloyd’s issued instructions (Cuthbert Heath again) to its syndicates to pay all claims for damages caused by the quakes and ensuing fires, “irrespective of the terms of their policies”. Many insurance companies went bankrupt rather than pay claims. Lloyd’s paid the equivalent of over $1 billion to claimants following the disaster in San Francisco.

Of course to refer to the event as the disaster in San Francisco is a misnomer, as the quake and its aftermath affected a huge swath of the United States from Oregon to central Nevada to Los Angeles. The San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 remained the single largest loss for Lloyd’s until the terrorist attacks of 9/11, after which payment of claims was considerably less streamlined. Even so. Lloyd’s response to the terrorist attacks earned praise from government officials, including American Secretary of the Treasury John Snow, who acknowledged, “We are indebted to you.”

1. Contests and rewards

Cutty Sark once ran a contest in 1971, offering £1 million to whomever delivered the (or a) Loch Ness monster. When executives raised concerns they may have to actually pay the award to some intrepid Nessie hunter they approached Lloyd’s to cover the award. Lloyd’s agreed, after specifying the dimensions of the captured animal, establishing its bona fides through the Natural History Museum, and establishing the captured monster would become the property of Lloyd’s. Nessie remains elusive more than fifty years later, the contest long since expired.

Lloyd’s has insured against paying out winners of other contests. Who Wants to be a Millionaire paid a Lloyd’s brokerage to cover the top prize, £1 million on the original, British version of the game show. At the time the program began airing in the United States the top prize had never been won. After two contestants won the American equivalent top prize of $1 million during the first season, the Lloyd’s brokerage group, Goshawk Syndicate, sued, claiming the US version had been deliberately made too easy to win. The American version was, to their minds, too easy for the brokers to assume the financial risks. Lloyd’s brokers were willing to assume reasonable risks, but evidently they saw no reason to be stupid about it.

As an example of the less challenging nature of the questions on the American version of the program the Daily Telegraph ran sample questions, including this from the US program: “Which condiment is also known as a Latin dance: mustard, mayonnaise, relish or salsa?” A cited question from the British version was, “What is the SI unit of magnetic flux density?” For those who need the answers they are, respectively, salsa, and tesla. Maybe Lloyd’s syndicate had a point.