John J Heard was born in Boston in 1809. He went to sea as a cabin boy at the age of twelve, rising to the position of master in the merchant marine. He commanded many commercial voyages around the world for Robinson, Wiggin & Co. of Boston, who owned the bark Oriental, including the United States mercantile voyage, 1853-1854, from Boston to Melbourne. Although this voyage was essentially a commercial venture, its penetration into uncharted Antarctic waters resulted in the discovery on 25 November 1853 of Heard Island, which in a few years became a major centre of the United States sealing industry. After the voyage, Heard pressed the United States government for official recognition of his claim to the island but to no avail. He died in 1862.
From the guide to the John Heard collection, 1853, (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge)
