Completed August 1881; Official No. 81658; Code Letters WBHN.

Owners: 1881 G Horsley, West Hartlepool (original shareholders: George Horsley, 57 shares; William Loutit, Master Mariner, 1 share; Edmund Farrar, Timber Merchant, Eccles, 2 shares; Samuel Bjorg, Cotton Manufacturer, Accrington, 4 shares): 1889 G Horsley & Son, West Hartlepool.

Masters: 1881-82 J Watson: 1883-90 W Wilson: 1890 George Davies.

Voyages: sailed from Chittagong 16 November 1893 with a cargo of 16,227 bales of jute. After a stormy passage arrived Dundee 16 November 1893.

The Hesper left Cardiff on 20th January 1890, bound for Genoa with a cargo of coal but was not heard of again. The vessel was officially declared missing and her Register closed on 1st March, 1890. She carried a crew of 21:
Buckley, M.A., second mate, Belfast; Christian, T, able seaman; Davies, George, master, Swansea; Fisher, H, able seaman; Gay, Joseph, steward; Jones, A, able seaman; Kendall, Harry, fireman; Lewis, C, donkeyman; Marney, T, able seaman; McAteer, WK, first mate, Belfast; McAustland, J, first engineer, Saltcoats; McDonald, J, fireman; McGill, S, third engineer; McGlonic, Dan, boatswain; Milne, Alex, able seaman; Mitchael, H, mess steward; Mitchell, William, second engineer, Bridge End; Munro, D, fireman; Newton, Thomas, fireman; Sturgeon, F, able seaman; Trump, James, cook.

Stockton, Durham & Cleveland Mercury 22 February 1890.
‘We regret to announce that Messrs. George Horsley & Son, West Hartlepool, the owners of the steamship Hesper have still no tidings of that vessel which, as already reported in the Northern Echo, left Cardiff on 20 January with a cargo of coals for Genoa. It is generally believed in local shipping circles that she must have foundered in the channel, especially as certain wreckage has been picked up which points to this conclusion.
The vessel, which was built in 1881 by Messrs. E. Withy & Co, Hartlepool, & was of the well-deck type, having a gross carrying capacity of 2350 tons, took the highest class at Lloyds of 100 A1. She was in command of Captain Davies, an able and experienced officer, enjoying the full confidence of her owners, in whose employ he had been for several years. There was a crew of 21 hands all told.’