Hero was a name given by the Greek poet Homer to men of superhuman strength, courage or ability, presumed to have been favored by the gods. In later times heroes were believed to be intermediate between gods and men, and to be immortal. Until the twentieth century heroic qualities were generally believed to exist only in men. Modern usage tends towards using ‘hero’ to describe a particularly brave man or woman .

All of the folk mentioned here had a connection with Kingswear at some time in their lives. Their bravery, sacrifice or exceptional devotion to duty is acknowledged with deep gratitude. Some were praised and rewarded in their life-times, while others received little in the way of public acknowledgement. Two fictional stories have been included because they have been accepted by some people as having belonged to a real hero and a real heroine. Historians try not to become sentimentalists: we try to explain the truth behind these misunderstandings. Some of our earlier heroes may seem to have surprising new biographies.