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The Surprise, was made famous by the writings of Patrick O’Brian, in his books on the adventures of Captain Aubrey and the surgeon Maturin, described by the world famous writer as his favourite ship. A short history of the original Surprise is listed below.

The fabulous frigate was constructed in Le Havre as L’Unite in 1794. It was a 24-gun corvette, armed with 8lb long guns. TheBritish captured her in April 1796 in the Mediterranean, and her namechanged to the Surprise. She was re-armed and classed as a 28-gun ship.She actually carried 24 32lb carronades on her main deck, 8 32 lbcarronades on her quarter deck, and 4 6 lb long guns on her foredeck.

Frenchfrigates were much sought after by the British, because of theirmanoeuvrability and speed. The streamlined design of the hull below thewaterline meant that these frigates could outrun most other ships.

Her big moment came in October 1799 under the command of Captain Edward Hamiltonfor the daring rescue of the frigate Hermoine. The latter’s crew hadmutinied, killing their commander and officers. The ship wassurrendered to the Spanish, and was taken to the harbour at PuertoCabello in modern day Venezuela.

In trying to rescue the ship,the boats of the Surprise was spotted and fired on by patrollinggunboats. They soldiered on, boarded the Hermoine, cleared the deck andsailed her out. Their losses were 12 wounded, whilst the Spanishsuffered a loss of 216 wounded (including many dead). Captain Hamiltonwho led the rescue was knighted for his conduct, and the Hermoine restored to the British Navy.