Hermes (1811 ship)

Hermes was built in Quebec in 1811. She traded widely before she made two voyages as a whaler to the British Southern Whale Fishery. She was wrecked in 1822 during the second voyage.

For other ships with the same name, see Hermes (ship).

History
Great Britain
Name: Hermes
Builder: Montreal, Quebec
Launched: 1811
Fate: Wrecked 1822
General characteristics
Tonnage: 258[1] (bm)
Propulsion: Sails
Armament: 18 × 12&9-pounder guns[1]

Career

A letter dated 16 May 1812 reported that Hermes had been re-registered at London.[2] She entered Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1813 with Harvey, master, Haslop, owner, and trade London–Smyrna.[1]

LR for 1816 showed Hermes with W.Moore, master, changing to J.Streffen, Haslop, owner, changing to Douglas & Co., and trade London–West Indies.[3]

On 30 November 1818 Hermes, Bond, master, put into Lerwick, leaky. She had been sailing from Archangel to London. She had had to throw part of her cargo overboard.[4]

LR for 1819 showed Hermes with Bond, master, changing to Taylor, owner Douglas, changing to Gales, and trade London–Havana, changing to London–South Seas.[5]

1st whaling voyage (1819–1820): Captain J. Taylor sailed from London 6 April 1819. Hermes returned on 5 September 1820.[6]

Fate

In 1820 Captain Taylor sailed from London bound for the Sandwich Islands, for Hermes's 2nd whaling voyage.[6]

Hermes was lost on 26 April 1822 in the South Seas. Her crew were rescued.[7] She was wrecked on a coral reef in the NW of the Hawaiian Islands. Hermes was in company with the whaler Pearl which also was wrecked at the same time. Pearl was wrecked first; Hermes wrecked when she came to Pearl's assistance. The 57 men from both crews were able to land on one of the atoll's small islands.[8] They were able to salvage provisions that enabled them to survive for some months. They also salvaged timbers that they used to build a 30-ton (bm) schooner that they named Deliverance. Fortuitously Thames sailed by and rescued most of the survivors before Deliverance had been completed.[Note 1] Still, James Robinson, carpenter on Hermes who had led the construction, and eleven other survivors chose to sail Deliverance to Honolulu.[10][8] There Robinson and another of the crewmen formed the James Robinson & Co boat repair company.[11]

LL reported on 18 April 1823 that both Hermes and Pearl had been wrecked and that their crews had been saved.[12]

Pearl and Hermes gave their name to the Pearl and Hermes Atoll.

Postscript: The wreck of what may have been Hermes or Pearl was discovered 20 September 2004 at the atoll.[10]

Notes
  1. This was probably the whaler Thames.[9]

Citations
  1. LR (1813), Supple. pages "H", Seq.№H17.
  2. Library and Archives Canada Item: 29808: HERMES.
  3. LR (1816), Seq.№H540.
  4. Lloyd's List (LL) №5332.
  5. LR (1819), Seq.№H473.
  6. British Southern Whale Fishery Database – Voyages: Hermes.
  7. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (5795). 18 April 1823.
  8. Shipwrecks at Holoikauaua (the Pearl and the Hermes). Accessed 16 August 2019.
  9. British Southern Whale Fishery Database – Voyages:Thames, voyage #BV0858.60.
  10. Leone, Diana (30 September 2004), "182-year-old shipwrecks possibly found". Star Bulletin.
  11. "The Shipyard at Honolulu". The Polynesian. 3 October 1840.
  12. LL №5795.
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