There have been many shipwrecks around the Lizard over the years, and you could say one of the causes is the order "To the Lizard for orders"

Before the days of radio, the only contact owners had with their ships was when the ship came within sight of land and was able to send a signal to a shore station. Ships coming home to Britain would sail close to The Lizard in order to contact their owners via Lloyds Signal Station, In poor visibility the ships would get close in to be able to see the signal station in the gloom, sometimes with disasterous results.