The Unicorn Preservation Society

This society with such a striking name has nothing to do with a white horse-like creature with a single horn, nestling its head in a virgin’s lap, although just such a mythological creature does feature as the figurehead of HMS Unicorn, the ship that the eponymous society was set up to preserve in 1968. HMS Unicorn is one of 47 Leda-class frigates built between 1794 and 1830, a fast and agile warship made light by having only a single deck for firepower. They were used to harass enemy vessels, to carry dispatches and orders, and to seek and destroy hostile merchantmen, pirates, and slave ships. One other Leda-class frigate has survived: built in Mumbai, HMS Trincomalee is preserved at J