I was trying to find a 19th century heroes list, and I found a little book for sale at ebay: Great Achievements of Military Men, statesment and others - Published in 1879 by William P. Nimmo and co. Edinburgh .

"Prefatory Note from the book.

It is probably allotted to few to achieve great things in an average lifetime ; the common duties of every day bounding and filling up the horizon, and giving opportunity for the performance of any great deeds, or any displays of talent or heroism, which might challenge the admiration of the world. Perhaps the best kind of heroism is that which shows itself in the cheerful and right performance of daily duty, of which the world shall hear a little or nothing. Doing right and guiding one's own life wisely and prudently may be conisdered as no mean performance, and a task in which some of those blessed with great talent and genius have not always succeeded.

It is none the less interesting and important, however, to keep great examples and the heroic deeds of the world's great ones before the mind. These examples have a stimulating and invigorating effect on character. The prsent examples have been chosen from copyright matter placed in the hands of the Editor, by the Publishers, for the present purpose."

The notes below are not from the book. Sterlingtimes will return to heroes in subsequent pages.

SIR WILLIAM WALLACE Wallace, Sir William (b. c. 1270, probably near Paisley, Renfrew, Scot.--d. Aug. 23, 1305, London, Eng.), one of Scotland's greatest national heroes, leader of the Scottish resistance forces during the first years of the long, and ultimately successful, struggle to free Scotland from English rule.

EDWARD THE BLACK PRINCE

Edward THE BLACK PRINCE, also called EDWARD OF WOODSTOCK, PRINCE D'AQUITAINE, PRINCE OF WALES, DUKE OF CORNWALL, EARL OF CHESTER (b. June 15, 1330, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, Eng.--d. June 8, 1376, Westminster, near London), son and heir apparent of Edward III of England and one of the outstanding commanders during the Hundred Years' War, winning his major victory at the Battle of Poitiers (1356). His sobriquet, said to have come from his wearing black armour, has no contemporary justification and is found first in Richard Grafton's Chronicle of England (1568).

EARL OF WARWICK

Edward THE BLACK PRINCE, also called EDWARD OF WOODSTOCK, PRINCE D'AQUITAINE, PRINCE OF WALES, DUKE OF CORNWALL, EARL OF CHESTER (b. June 15, 1330, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, Eng.--d. June 8, 1376, Westminster, near London), son and heir apparent of Edward III of England and one of the outstanding commanders during the Hundred Years' War, winning his major victory at the Battle of Poitiers (1356). His sobriquet, said to have come from his wearing black armour, has no contemporary justification and is found first in Richard Grafton's Chronicle of England (1568).

THOMAS HOWARD

Suffolk, Thomas Howard, 1st earl of, LORD HOWARD OF WALDEN (b. Aug. 24, 1561--d. May 28, 1626, London, Eng.), an English commander during the attack of the Spanish Armada and in other forays against the Spanish during the reign of Elizabeth I. He was also a councillor in the reign of James I.

EARL OF SURREY

Norfolk, Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of, EARL OF SURREY, EARL MARSHAL (b. 1443--d. May 21, 1524, Framlingham, Suffolk, Eng.), noble prominent during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII of England.

SIR PHILIP SIDNEY

Sidney, Sir Philip (b. Nov. 30, 1554, Penshurst, Kent, Eng.--d. Oct. 17, 1586, Arnhem, Neth.), Elizabethan courtier, statesman, soldier, poet, and patron of scholars and poets, considered the ideal gentleman of his day. After Shakespeare's sonnets, Sidney's Astrophel and Stella is considered the finest Elizabethan sonnet cycle. His The Defence of Poesie introduced the critical ideas of Renaissance theorists to England.

DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH

Marlborough, John Churchill, 1st Duke of, MARQUESS OF BLANDFORD, EARL OF MARLBOROUGH, BARON CHURCHILL OF SANDRIDGE, LORD CHURCHILL OF EYEMOUTH, REICHSFÜRST (Imperial Prince) (b. May 26, 1650, Ashe, Devon, Eng.--d. June 16, 1722, Windsor, near London), one of England's greatest generals, who led British and allied armies to important victories over Louis XIV of France, notably at Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), and Oudenaarde (1708).

Military career.
John Churchill was the son of Sir Winston Churchill, member of Parliament, who possessed only a moderate property but was sufficiently influential at the court of Charles II to be able to provide for his sons there and in the armed forces. John, the eldest, advanced rapidly both at court and in the army but, marrying for love, remained throughout his life dependent upon his career in the public service for financial support.

ROBERT CLIVE Clive, Robert, 1ST BARON CLIVE OF PLASSEY (b. Sept. 29, 1725, Styche, Shropshire, Eng.--d. Nov. 22, 1774, London), soldier and first British administrator of Bengal, who was one of the creators of British power in India. In his first governorship (1755-60) he won the Battle of Plassey and became master of Bengal. In his second governorship (1764-67) he reorganized the colony.

The foundations of the British empire in India were, it is said, laid by Robert Clive, known to his admirers as the "conqueror of India". Clive first arrived in India in 1743 as a civil servant of the East India Company; he later transferred to the military service of the Company and returned to England in 1753, where he able to follow a comfortable life-style. But his penchant for extravagance and ostentatious displays of wealth, just as much as his electoral loss in his attempt to gain a seat in the House of Commons, opened him to the attacks of his creditors and political opponents. Meanwhile, in Bengal, where the British and the French were contesting for supremacy, the Company required the services of an able commander. Clive was eager to return to India; and soon the summons came. He arrived in India in 1756 and at once secured the British forces in Madras. He then moved to Calcutta, which had been captured by the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-daulah, and early in 1757 he recaptured Bengal. Later that year, on June 23rd, he defeated the Nawab, largely by means of bribes, at the so-called "Battle of Plassey".

GENERAL ELLIOT

Minto, Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st earl of, VISCOUNT MELGUND OF MELGUND, also called (from 1798) BARON MINTO OF MINTO, original name GILBERT ELLIOT (b. April 23, 1751, Grey Friars, Edinburgh--d. June 21, 1814, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, Eng.), governor general of India (1807-13) who successfully restrained the French in the East Indies.

SIR JOHN MOORE (b. Nov. 13, 1761, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scot.--d. Jan. 16, 1809, La Coruña, Spain), British lieutenant general who led a famous retreat to La Coruña (December 1808-January 1809) during the Napoleonic Peninsular War. His actions became celebrated, criticized by some and praised by others (including the Duke of Wellington). Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore. The most famous British soldier [after Wellington] of the period.      [1761-1809]    Painting by Sir Thomas Lawrence. National Portrait Gallery, London.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, oil on canvas by Sir Thomas Lawrence. The Granger Collection, New York City. Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington, twice reached the zenith of fame with a period of unexampled odium intervening. By defeating Napoleon at Waterloo he became the conqueror of the world's conqueror. After Waterloo he joined a repressive government, and later, as prime minister, he resisted pressure for constitutional reform. False pride, however, never prevented him from retreating either on the field or in Parliament, and for the country's sake he supported policies that he personally disapproved. In old age he was idolized as an incomparable public servant.

Lt. General Lord Wellington at Salamanca.  July 22, 1812.  Painting by Chris Collingwood.

MARQUIS OF ANGLESEA Henry William Paget, Earl of Uxbridge. [1768-1854]   Painting by Sir Thomas Lawrence.   SIR CHARLES NAPIER Napier, Sir Charles, COUNT (Conde) NAPIER DE SÃO VICENTE (b. March 6, 1786, near Falkirk, Stirling, Scot.--d. Nov. 6, 1860, near Catherington, Hampshire, Eng.), admiral in the Portuguese and British navies, controversial commander of the British Baltic Fleet during the Crimean War of 1853-56. Created Conde Napier de São Vicente in the Portuguese peerage.

He was less elegantly known in Great Britain as "Black Charley" and "Mad Charley."

SIR COLIN CAMPBELL

Clyde (of Clydesdale), Colin Campbell, Baron, also called (1849-58) SIR COLIN CAMPBELL (b. Oct. 20, 1792, Glasgow, Scot.--d. Aug. 14, 1863, Chatham, Kent, Eng.), British soldier who was commander in chief of the British forces in India during the Indian Mutiny of 1857.

GREAT STATESMEN AND ORATORS

JOHN HAMPDEN - OLIVER CROMWELL - ANDREW MARVELL - EARL OF CHATHAM - EDMUND BURKE - HENRY GRATTAN - CHARLES JAMES FOX - RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN - WILLIAM PITT - GEORGE CANNING - LORD BROUGHAM

GREAT LAWYERS AND JUDGES

THOMAS A BECKET - JUDGE GASCOIGNE - CARDINAL WOLSEY - THOMAS CROMWELL - SIR THOMAS MORE - LORD BACON - JOHN SELDEN - DAVID JENKINS - SIR MATTHEW HALE - LORD CHIEF JUSTICE HOLT - LORD MANSFIELD - THOMAS ERSKINE - JOHN PHILPOT CURRAN - SIR SAMUEL ROMILLY - SIR JAMES MACKINTOSH

GREAT ARTISTS (Memorable Images 58)

GEORGE JAMESON - Sir PETER LELY - SIR GODFREY KNELLER - SIR JAMES THORNHILL - SIR JAMES THORNHILL - WILLIAM HOGARTH - SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS - THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH - BENJAMIN WEST - JAMES BARRY - WILLIAM BLAKE - JOHN OPIE - GEORGE MORLAND - SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE - JOSEPH TURNER.