Lion was an eighteenth-century merchant ship that entered British service and was lost at Delagoa Bay in 1798 while returning from India.
Last updated November 4, 2026
AI crawler reads
4requests
1companies- Anthropic4
- Profile
- 2
- Controversies
- 2
- JSON · MD
- 0
- First read
- Nov 4, 2026
- Latest read
- Nov 4, 2026
From this site's server log
Overview
Lion was a merchant vessel associated with the maritime trade between Britain and India in the late eighteenth century. The ship was reportedly launched in the Netherlands in 1789, although the precise circumstances of its construction and early ownership are uncertain. One account identifies its earlier name as Leuve and associates it with the Dutch East India Company, but detailed records of Dutch East India Company voyages and vessels do not clearly substantiate that identification. The ship was captured as a prize around 1795, in connection with British operations at Saldanha Bay, and subsequently entered British commercial service. Lion appeared in Lloyd’s Register in 1796. At that time it was listed with Thompson as master, Camden as owner, and London–East Indies as its trade route. The following year, the register named Calvert & Co. as owner. Lion also undertook a voyage under contract to the British East India Company, sailing from Britain on 3 April 1796 toward India. The available records differ over the identity of its commander: Lloyd’s Register listed Thompson, while a later account of the vessel’s loss named the captain as Sever. The ship reached the Indian Ocean and was involved in the movement of cargo between India, Ceylon, and Britain. On its homeward voyage, after carrying goods from Madras and Colombo, Lion encountered difficulties and put into Delagoa Bay, on the southeast African coast, in late June 1798. The vessel was in distress and could not be preserved despite assistance from other ships in the area. On 28 June, Captain Sever arranged for three whalers—Eliza, Kerr master, London, Keen master, and Neptune, Hopper master—to transport Lion’s cargo onward to Britain. Three American vessels also attempted to assist, but most of Lion’s officers and crew abandoned the ship on 18 July. The vessel was ultimately condemned at Delagoa Bay. Lloyd’s List reported the condemnation in December 1798, while British East India Company records valued the cargo carried aboard Lion at £8,272. The ship therefore had a short documented career under British ownership: it entered the registers during the 1790s, completed or attempted an East India voyage, and was lost before returning to Britain. Because the evidence concerning its Dutch origin, capture, name history, and command is incomplete or conflicting, Lion’s early biography should be treated cautiously.
History
Lion was a late-eighteenth-century merchant ship whose documented career connected Dutch maritime origins, British ownership, and the commercial routes of the East India trade. Reference material states that the vessel was launched in the Netherlands in 1789. Its identity before entering British service is uncertain. A historical account describes it as having been built under the name Leuve for the Dutch East India Company and captured at Saldanha Bay in 1795. However, more comprehensive records of Dutch East India Company voyages do not identify a vessel that clearly matches those details. Lists of Dutch merchant vessels captured at Simon’s Bay during the British seizure of the Cape-related anchorage likewise do not provide an unambiguous match. These discrepancies mean that the ship’s earlier name and ownership should not be regarded as firmly established. Lion entered Lloyd’s Register in 1796. The register recorded Thompson as master, Camden as owner, and London–East Indies as the vessel’s trade. In the 1797 edition, the ownership was shown as Calvert & Co. This change places Lion within the British merchant fleet during a period when vessels were commonly employed under charter or contract for long-distance trade with India and other parts of Asia. Lion’s first voyage under British ownership was performed for or under contract to the British East India Company. It departed on 3 April 1796, bound for India. The records do not agree on the captain: Thompson appears in Lloyd’s Register, whereas the account describing the ship’s final voyage identifies Captain Sever. The vessel subsequently operated in the Indian Ocean. Its homeward cargo included goods from Madras and Colombo, and the ship was returning toward Britain when it suffered serious difficulty. Lion reached Delagoa Bay in late June 1798, apparently seeking refuge or repairs. On 28 June, Captain Sever chartered three whalers to carry the cargo onward. The ships were Eliza, commanded by Kerr, London, commanded by Keen, and Neptune, commanded by Hopper. Other English and American vessels in the bay also attempted to help, but the assistance was insufficient to save Lion itself. Most of Lion’s officers and crew abandoned the vessel on 18 July 1798. The ship was later condemned at Delagoa Bay. Lloyd’s List recorded the condemnation on 21 December, noting that whalers had been hired to recover or transport the cargo. The East India Company placed the value of that cargo at £8,272. The surviving record thus emphasizes the commercial consequences of the loss rather than a detailed account of the vessel’s construction, design, or crew. Lion’s historical significance lies in its association with the precarious long-distance merchant shipping system of the late eighteenth century. Vessels trading between Britain and India faced long voyages, navigational hazards, weather damage, limited repair facilities, and the risks of transporting valuable cargo far from home ports. Lion’s loss at Delagoa Bay illustrates how a ship could be abandoned while its cargo was salvaged or redirected through other vessels. Since the evidence for its early Dutch identity and capture is contested, later descriptions should distinguish documented facts from the proposed identification with a VOC vessel.
- 1798
Distress at Delagoa Bay
[1]While returning from Madras and Colombo, Lion reached Delagoa Bay in distress in late June.
- 1798
Cargo transferred after abandonment
[1]On 28 June, Captain Sever chartered three whalers to carry Lion’s cargo onward to Britain. Most of the crew abandoned the ship on 18 July.
- 1798
Condemnation at Delagoa Bay
[1]Lion could not be saved and was condemned at Delagoa Bay. The East India Company valued its cargo at £8,272.
- 1797
Ownership recorded as Calvert & Co.
[1]The 1797 Lloyd’s Register listed Calvert & Co. as the ship’s owner.
- 1796
Entry into Lloyd’s Register
[1]Lion was listed with Thompson as master, Camden as owner, and London–East Indies as its trade.
- 1796
Departure for India
[1]Lion sailed on 3 April on an East India voyage under contract to the British East India Company.
- 1795
Reported capture as a prize
[1]One historical account places the vessel’s capture at Saldanha Bay around 1795, although the ship’s identification in Dutch records is unresolved.
- 1789
Reported launch in the Netherlands
[1]Reference material states that Lion was launched in the Netherlands. Its original name and builder remain uncertain.
Products and positioning
Eighteenth-century merchant shipping serving the Britain–India trade; not a consumer brand.
Product categories. Toothpaste and tooth powders · Toothbrushes and electric oral-care brushes · Mouthwash and oral-health products · Laundry detergents and fabric treatments · Dishwashing detergents · Household cleaners · Hand soaps and hygiene products · Personal-care and health products · Pharmaceutical products · Direct-to-consumer lifestyle products · Toothpaste and oral-care products · Soap · Laundry detergents · Household cleaning products · Personal-care products and toiletries · Medicines · Industrial and specialty chemicals
Controversies
2020
House on Hood faces backlash over Corona promotion
House on Hood faced online backlash in New Zealand over a promotion for Corona beer that referenced the coronavirus outbreak. The bar replaced the original advertisement with a toned-down version. Lion, which distributes Corona in New Zealand, said it was unaware of the promotion and condemned the bar for running it.
2020
House of Hood faces backlash over Corona promotion
House of Hood faced online backlash after advertising Corona beers for $6.50 "while the pandemic lasts," using the coronavirus outbreak in the promotion. The article also reports that Corona's New Zealand distributor Lion asked for the post to be removed.
Recent events
Reported
LION announces acquisition of Elbeco[4]
LION announced an asset-purchase acquisition of Elbeco. The article says Elbeco's brand name will be maintained and its Reading office and team will continue operations.
Reported
Lion launches MetaWords blind boxes[5]
Lion offered MetaWords blind boxes to the market on January 17, 2022; the company later announced that all 2,742 boxes had sold out.
Reported
Lion agrees to acquire Bell’s Brewery[6]
Bell’s finalized a sale agreement to join forces with New Belgium Brewing, which is owned by Lion. The transaction was still awaiting regulatory consents and was expected to close in the coming months.
Reported
Guinness launches “It’s Guinness Season” campaign[7]
Guinness and Lion launched the “It’s Guinness Season” campaign on 1 June, promoting Guinness as a winter beer through advertising, promotions and other activations.
Reported
Lion announces unaudited full-year 2020 results[8]
Lion Group Holding announced unaudited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2020. It reported revenue of $10.2 million, down 44.8% year over year, and a net loss of $3.4 million.
Reported
Ransomware attack disrupts Lion operations and customer service[9]
A ransomware attack forced Lion to shut down key systems. The company said systems were taking longer than anticipated to reboot, potentially causing temporary product shortages; the incident also continued to affect customer service, with some manufacturing sites offline and ordering reverted to manual processes.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
House on Hood faces backlash over Corona promotion[2]
House on Hood faced online backlash in New Zealand over a promotion for Corona beer that referenced the coronavirus outbreak. The bar replaced the original advertisement with a toned-down version. Lion, which distributes Corona in New Zealand, said it was unaware of the promotion and condemned the bar for running it.
Reported
House of Hood faces backlash over Corona promotion[3]
House of Hood faced online backlash after advertising Corona beers for $6.50 “while the pandemic lasts,” using the coronavirus outbreak in the promotion. The article also reports that Corona's New Zealand distributor Lion asked for the post to be removed.
Mengniu agreed to acquire Lion Dairy & Drinks[10]
Kirin Holdings and Lion reached an agreement to sell the Lion Dairy & Drinks business to Mengniu Dairy for AU$600 million. The sale remained subject to approval by the ACCC and FIRB before completion.
Reported
Lion announces acquisition of New Belgium Brewing[11]
Lion’s craft beverage division announced that it had acquired Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing for an undisclosed sum. The purchase was expected to close by the end of 2019, pending regulatory approval.
Sources13 sources
- 1Lion (1796 ship)en.wikipedia.org
- 2House on Hood faces backlash over Corona promotionfox26houston.com
- 3House of Hood faces backlash over Corona promotionpedestrian.tv
- 4LION宣布收购Elbecoems1.com
- 5Lion推出MetaWords盲盒prnewswire.com
- 6Lion达成收购Bell’s Brewery的协议beveragedaily.com
- 7Guinness推出「It’s Guinness Season」行销活动theshout.com.au
- 8Lion公布2020全年未经审计业绩prnewswire.com
- 9勒索软件攻击影响Lion运营及客户服务infosecurity-magazine.com
- 10蒙牛达成收购Lion Dairy & Drinks协议foodprocessing.com.au
- 11Lion宣布收购New Belgium Brewingthedrinksbusiness.com
- 12China Mengniu Dairy to buy Lion Dairy & Drinksbeveragedaily.com
- 13Lion Announces Unaudited First Half 2021 Financial Resultsprnewswire.com
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/lion · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled