British Hero is the name of at least two British merchant vessels that sailed in the early 19th century.
British Hero (1801 ship)
British Hero was launched in 1801 at North Shields, England, by builder Thomas Hearn. She was a merchant ship of approximately 300 tons burthen. She first appeared in Lloyd's Register in 1804, though ship arrival and departure data in Lloyd's List records her trading with the Baltic since 1802. Her master was W. Hogarth and her owner was J. Bell. In 1806, her trade route was listed as Cork.
In January or February 1806, the French privateer Général Pérignon captured her and brought her into Saint-Malo as a prize. The Journal de Commerce reported that Général Pérignon arrived at Saint-Malo on 13 February 1806 with two English prizes—British Hero (300 tons) and City of London (379 tons)—carrying cargoes of sugar, coffee, rum, and logwood.
British Hero (1809 ship)
British Hero was launched in 1809 at Jarrow by builder Simon Temple. She initially served as a government transport and did not appear in Lloyd's Register or the Register of Shipping until she entered mercantile service around 1813. Her master was Cockerill, owner Carling & Co., and her trade was listed as Plymouth transport.
In December 1812, a violent gale in the Tagus caused her to lose her cables and anchors. After the British East India Company lost its monopoly on trade with India in 1813, British Hero was employed on the London–India route. By 1816, her master was J. Edwards and her owner was Crow & Co.
On 22 May 1816, she sailed for India under an EIC license. After calling at Madeira and the Cape of Good Hope, she wrecked on 3 November 1816 on the Diamond Rock off Aracan (Arakan, present-day Myanmar). She struck a hidden rock in clear weather some days after leaving Madras. The crew and passengers took to the ship's boats and sailed to Chittagong, arriving on 9 November.
References
- Lloyd's Register (1804, 1816)
- Lloyd's List (various issues)
- The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British and Foreign India, China, and Australia (1817)
- Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.
- Tyne Built Ships: "B".
