| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Adventure |
| Owner | |
| Builder | Liverpool |
| Launched | 1802 |
| Captured | 1806 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 105, [2] or 135 [3] [1] (bm) |
| Sail plan | Schooner |
| Complement | |
| Armament |
|
| Notes | Two decks and three masts |
Adventure was launched at Liverpool in 1802. She made three voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. A French privateer captured her in 1806 on her fourth voyage.
Adventure first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1803 with C. Watts, master, Watts &co., owner, and trade Liverpool–Africa. [3]
1st enslaving voyage (1803): Captain Charles Watt sailed from Liverpool on 11 January 1803, bound for West Central Africa and St Helena. Adventure arrived at St Thomas, in the Danish West Indies on 9 July, where she landed 136 slaves. She sailed from there on 1 August and arrived back at Liverpool on 26 September. She had left with 16 crew members and suffered four deaths on her voyage. [4]
2nd enslaving voyage (1803–1804): Captain Charles Watt acquired a letter of marque on 11 November 1803. [2] Adventure sailed from Liverpool on 9 December 1803 and arrived at St Thomas on 14 June, where she landed 131 slaves. She sailed from there on 24 July and arrived back at Liverpool on 15 September. She had left with 29 crew members and suffered three deaths on her voyage. [5]
3rd enslaving voyage (1804–1806): Captain Joseph Tyack acquired a letter of marque on 10 October 1804. [2] Adventure sailed from Liverpool 27 November 1804. she gathered her slaves at the Congo River and took them to Suriname where she landed 136 slaves. She sailed on 1 December and arrived back at Liverpool on 13 February 1806. She had left Liverpool with 20 crew members and suffered six crew deaths on her voyage. [6]
4th enslaving voyage (1806–loss): Captain John Brown sailed from Liverpool on 28 July 1806. Adventure acquired captives, and sailed for the West Indies. [7]
The French captured her before she could land her captives. A French privateer captured her on 24 December windward of Barbados, and sent her into Guadeloupe. [8] It is estimated that she landed 160 slaves. She had left Liverpool with a crew of 21 men. [1]
Adventure's captor was the privateer Général Ernouf , under the command of Alexis Grassin. She and her cargo were sold for 228,199 francs. [9]
In 1806, 33 British enslaving ships were lost. Of these, 11 were lost in the Middle Passage, sailing from Africa to the West Indies. [10] During the period 1793 to 1807, war, rather than maritime hazards or resistance by the captives, was the greatest cause of vessel losses among British slave vessels. [11]
Will was a ship launched at Liverpool in 1797 for Aspinal & Co., who were one of Liverpool's leading slave-trading companies. She made numerous voyages between West Africa and the Caribbean in the triangular trade in enslaved people, during which she several times successfully repelled attacks by French privateers. Will apparently foundered in a squall in July 1806, shortly before the passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807 abolished the slave trade for British subjects.
HMS Duguay-Trouin was an 18-gun French privateer sloop launched in 1779 at Le Havre. Surprise captured her in 1780 and the British Royal Navy took her into service under her existing name. It sold Duguay-Trouin on 30 October 1783. She then became the West Indiaman Christopher. She captured several French merchant vessels. Later she became a Liverpool-based slave ship, making five voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was lost at Charleston in September 1804 in a hurricane.
Otway was a French or Spanish vessel built in 1799 that became a Liverpool-based slave ship in 1800. She made four voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people, delivering captives from West Africa to the West Indies before the French Navy captured her in 1806. She became the Guadeloupe-based privateer Alerte and captured a number of British merchantmen before the Royal Navy captured her i October 1807.
Rosalind was launched in 1789 in Spain and taken in prize in 1799. She made three voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. A French privateer captured her in 1804 while she was on her fourth slave trading voyages.
Numerous vessels have born the name George, including:
Otter was launched at Liverpool in 1797, initially as a West Indiaman. She made seven voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During her career she captured one merchantman and recaptured another. She was lost in 1807 on her way back to Britain from her seventh enslaving voyage.
Sarah was launched at Liverpool in 1797. She then made six voyages as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade carrying enslaved people from West Africa to the West Indies. A French privateer captured Sarah in 1804 in a single-ship action on her seventh voyage after Sarah had gathered her slaves but before she could deliver them to the West Indies.
Sarah was launched at Liverpool in 1803. She made a short voyage as a privateer during which she captured a valuable prize. She then made two voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. A French naval squadron captured her early in her third enslaving voyage.
Windsor Castle was launched at Whitby in 1783. Initially she was primarily a West Indiaman. Then from 1797 she made five voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She foundered off Bermuda in 1803 after having disembarked her captives.
Horatio was launched in 1800 at Liverpool. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During two of these voyages she was captured and recaptured. Shortly before the British slave trade ended she left the slave trade and sailed between Britain and South America and as a West Indiaman. She was wrecked in 1817.
Swallow was launched in Spain in 1790, almost certainly under another name. She was taken in prize in 1805 and became a slaver ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made two voyages carrying captives, on both of which privateers captured her.
Bolton was launched at Liverpool in 1792. She then made 10 voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During her career she repelled one attack by a French privateer, was captured on a later voyage by another before being recaptured by the Royal Navy, and then was captured on her tenth voyage by yet another privateer after Bolton had gathered her captives but before she was able to deliver them to the West Indies. Bolton returned to British ownership, first sailing as West Indiaman, before embarking on an 11th enslaving voyage. She blew up on the African coast in 1806 after some of the captives aboard her succeeded in taking her over and setting fire to her.
Resource was launched at Bermuda in 1792, possibly under another name, and sailed from Liverpool from 1798 on. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French Navy captured her in 1805 at the very beginning of her fifth voyage. However, the British recaptured her when her captors sent her into the Cape of Good Hope, not realising that the Royal Navy was capturing the Cape.
Roehampton was a ship built in the United States in 1792, possibly in Baltimore, and almost certainly under another name. Between 1798 and 1803 she traded between England and North America. From 1803 she made two complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She disappeared on her way home on her third.
Ellis was a French prize, captured in 1797, possibly built that year also. Liverpool merchants purchased her. She made five complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade carrying enslaved people from West Africa to the British West Indies. She was lost at sea on 23 April 1806 on her sixth voyage before she could take on any captives.
Princess Amelia was launched in 1798 at Liverpool. She made eight complete voyages as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After the end of British participation in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, she became a merchantman. She was probably the Princess Amelia, from Liverpool, that was lost in 1810.
Diligence or Diligent was launched in Spain in 1795 and came into British ownership as a French prize acquired in 1800. She became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made three complete voyages transporting captives. During her third voyage she captured three French vessels. She was wrecked in 1804 on her fourth journey before she had embarked any slaves.
Louisa was launched in France in 1794, probably under another name. She was taken in prize and between 1798 and 1804 she made five complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Her fourth voyage gave rise to an influential, and exaggerated, estimate of the profitability of trading in enslaved people. She was lost in 1804 on the coast of Africa on her sixth voyage.
Nelly was launched at Liverpool in 1798. She initially sailed as a West Indiaman. From 1803 she made two complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Spanish privateers captured her in 1805 while she was on her third slave voyage after she had embarked slaves.
William was launched in Spain in 1788, almost certainly under another name. She was taken in prize in 1797. William sailed as a West Indiaman until 1800 when new owners started to sail her as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made four complete voyages as a slave ship. A report of her fourth voyage provides insight into the decision making over the planning of the voyage. Spanish privateers captured her in 1805 on her fifth slave voyage.