Lloyds of London

As a young lad, Jonathan Blake and his friend Horatio Nelson come across an insurance fraud. Jonathan travels to London to visit Lloyd's coffee house, where various syndicates insure shipping ventures. Jonathan's information saves the syndicates a good deal of money and as his reward he asks only that he be allowed to learn the trade. As an adult he becomes a successful insurance underwriter and his syndicate becomes quite profitable. A crisis occurs when they learn that 63 ships were sunk off the Azores by Napoleon's navy. Insurance rates rise dramatically and ship owners refuse to go to sea. Jonathan underwrites at the old rates in order to ensure Nelson can use his fighting ships in battle and not as convoy ships. Nelson's victory at Trafalgar means the British navy will rule the seven seas.