List of ships named Hercules

Last updated June 25, 2024

Hercules was the name of a large number of ships, named in honour of the Roman mythological hero Hercules:

Hercules (1771 ship) was launched at Georgia in 1771. She appeared in Lloyd's Register in 1777 and became a West Indiaman. Between 1792 and 1796 she made three voyages as a whaler in the Southern Whale Fishery. In 1797 the French captured Hercules as she was on her fourth voyage.
Hercules (1777 ship) was launched at the Province of Georgia. She appeared in Lloyd's Register in 1782 as a West Indiaman. From 1786 she made three voyages as a slave ship. She was lost as she was returning to England after having delivered her slaves at Jamaica.
Hercules (1792 ship), of 600 or 628 tons (bm), was an American ship built in New England that was lost off the Cape of Good Hope in 1797 while bringing rice from Bengal to England.
Hercules (1801 ship) was a built at South Shields, England. She made one trip transporting convicts to Port Jackson. She made two trips for the British East India Company (EIC), and was homeward bound from the second of these when the French privateer Napoleon captured her off the Cape of Good Hope.
Hercules (1796 ship) was launched at Bristol in 1796. She was a West Indiaman. In 1814 an American privateer captured her and a British naval vessel recaptured her. Because the recapture occurred after 1 March 1815, she was returned to the United States.
Another ship named Hercules built at South Shields in 1801 was bought by the Royal Navy in 1803, becoming HMS Merlin
Hercules (1812 ship) was apparently an American ship in origin. She made two voyages as a whaler in the Southern Whale Fishery and then was no longer listed in 1818.
Hercules (1814 ship) was built at Calcutta. She acquired British registry and traded between Britain and India under a license from the British EIC before returning to Calcutta registry. She then traded opium between India and China, and became an opium receiving ship for Jardine Matheson. In 1839 she was one of the vessels that surrendered her store of opium to be burned at the behest of Chinese officials at Canton. This incident was one of the proximate causes of the First Opium War (1839–1842). Her owners apparently sold her to American owners in 1839.
Hercules (1822 ship) was a sailing ship built in 1822 at Whitby, England, that made three voyages transporting convicts to Australia and two voyages for the British East India Company
Hercules (1907), a steam tug now preserved in San Francisco, California
Hercules (1973 ship), a Liberian-flagged tanker attacked by Argentine forces during the Falklands War.

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Several vessels have been named Harriet, or Harriot:

Nonsuch was launched at Calcutta in 1781 as the first large vessel built there. She was designed to serve as either a merchantman or a man-of-war. She spent the first 12 years of her career as a merchant vessel, carrying opium to China amongst other cargoes. After the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793 her owner frequently hired her out as an armed ship to the British East India Company (EIC). She participated in an engagement with a French naval squadron and recaptured an East Indiaman. She also made two voyages for the EIC. After the Peace of Amiens in 1802 the EIC paid her off; as she was being hauled into a dockyard for repairs she was damaged and the decision was taken to break her up.

Numerous vessels have borne the name Fame:

Ann or Anne has been a popular name for ships.

Several ships have been named Brunswick.

Several ships have borne the name Caledonia for Caledonia:

Several vessels have been named Recovery:

Several ships have borne the name Cambridge for Cambridge:

Several ships have been named Commerce:

There have been several ships named Hope:

Several ships have Zephyr for the light wind.

During the Age of Sail many merchant ships were named Ganges, after the Ganges river in India.

Tartar was built in France in 1778, almost surely under another name. She was taken in prize and appears under British ownership in 1780. After a short career as a privateer, she made a voyage between 1781 and 1783 as an extra East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She then became a whaler in the northern whale fishery. After whaling she traded with the Baltic and then served as a London-based transport. She was probably lost in 1799, and was last listed in 1801. If Tartar is the vessel lost in 1799, in 1796 French warships captured her, but the Royal Navy quickly recaptured her.

Several vessels have been named Tartar:

Several vessels have been named Olive Branch, for the olive branch:

Several vessels have been named William:

A number of vessels have been named Ranger:

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List of ships named Hercules

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