 Great Britain | |
|---|---|
| Name | Agreeable |
| Builder | Liverpool [1] |
| Launched | 1786, [1] or 1788 [2] |
| Captured | 1803 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 189, [3] or 198 [1] (bm) |
| Armament | 16 × 6-pounder guns |
Agreeable was launched in 1786 in Liverpool, possibly under another name. Between 1798 and 1802 she made three voyages as a slave ship. A French privateer captured her in 1803 as she was sailing from Africa to the West Indies on her fourth slave trading voyage.
Agreeable first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1798. [1]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1798 | J.Siddon | T.Hind | Liverpool–Africa | LR |
Agreeable's captain for her voyages transporting enslaved people was James Seddon, who was one of the leading captains of slave ships during the period 1785–1807. [4] Between 1796 and 1806 he made nine voyages as a captain, sailing six different vessels for two different owners. He died on 8 October 1806, on his ninth voyage while captain of Trafalgar. [5]
1st slave voyage (1798–1799): Captain James Seddon sailed from Liverpool on 16 July 1798. [2] In 1800, 160 vessels sailed from British ports, bound to engage in the acquisition and transport of enslaved people; 149 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [6]
Agreeable acquired captives in West Central Africa and she arrived at Kingston, Jamaica on 27 May 1799, with 290 captives. She left Kingston on 23 June and arrived back at Liverpool on 16 September. She had left with 33 crew members and she suffered six crew deaths on her voyage. [2]
2nd slave voyage (1800–1801): Captain Seddon sailed from Liverpool on 7 May 1800. [3] In 1800, 133 vessels sailed from British ports, bound to engage in the acquisition and transport of enslaved people; 120 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [6]
Agreeable acquired captives in West Central Africa and she arrived at Kingston on 4 February 1801 with 222 captives. [3] Either before or after she arrived at Kingston, but probably before, Agreeable was at Suriname. She sailed for Liverpool on 7 April and arrived there on 8 June. She had left Liverpool with 33 crew members and arrived at Kingston with 35; she suffered one crew death on her voyage. [3]
3rd slave voyage (1801–1802): Captain Seddon sailed from Liverpool on 6 November 1801. [7] In 1801, 147 vessels sailed from British ports, bound to engage in the acquisition and transport of enslaved people; 122 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [6]
Agreeable acquired captives at Bonny and arrived at St Kitts on 19 June 1802 with 233 captives. She sailed from St Kitts on 25 July and arrived back at Liverpool on 10 September. She had left Liverpool with 27 crew members and she had suffered five crew deaths on her voyage. [7]
4th slave voyage (1803–Loss): Captain Seddon sailed Agreeable , with her 24 crew members, from Liverpool on 8 March 1803. [8] In 1803, 99 vessels sailed from British ports, bound to engage in the acquisition and transport of enslaved people; 83 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [6]
While Agreeable was sailing from Africa to the West Indies, a privateer captured her to windward of Barbados. The privateer took Agreeable to Guadeloupe. [9] [lower-alpha 1]
In 1803, some 11 British vessels engaged in the transport of enslaved people were lost. Seven of these vessels were lost in the Middle Passage, i.e., while sailing between Africa and 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 vessels in the triangular trade. [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.
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 in Spain in 1791, presumably under another name. The British captured her c.1798. She made five voyages as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people before a Spanish privateer captured her in 1805 on her sixth voyage. On her fifth voyage Sarah had captured two French slave ships at Loango.
Byam was a snow launched at Oban, or possibly Padstow, in 1800. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French captured and burnt her in late 1807 or early 1808 as she was about to deliver the captives from her fifth voyage.
Hannah was built in Liverpool in 1795. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade of enslaved people. She was lost in 1801 as she was returning home after having delivered her captives on her fourth 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.
Aurora was launched at Chester in 1793 as a West Indiaman. During her career first the French (twice) and then the United States' privateer captured her, but she returned to British hands. Between 1801 and 1808 she made four voyages from Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Afterwards, she continued to trade widely until 1831.
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.
Prudence was built in Philadelphia in 1796. Between 1801 and 1803 she made two complete voyages from Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was captured around late 1803 on her third voyage before she could purchase captives.
Backhouse was launched in 1785 at Chester. She initially sailed as a West Indiaman. In 1792–1793 she made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Once in 1796 and twice in 1797 she repelled attacks by French privateers in three single-ship actions. Backhouse made four more voyages transporting enslaved people and then returned to the West Indies trade. After about 1809 she became a London coaster and was last listed in 1813.
Betsey was launched in 1790 at Liverpool as a slave ship. She made six complete voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On her second such voyage she, together with five other slave ships, bombarded Calabar for more than three hours to force the local native traders to lower the prices they were charging for captives. A French privateer captured her in 1799 after she had delivered her captives on her seventh voyage.
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.
Lovely Lass was launched in France in 1780, almost surely under another name. She first appeared in British records in 1788. She made three voyages as a Bristol-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She then briefly became a West Indiaman before she became a Liverpool-based enslaving ship. She was lost in 1798 on her first voyage from Liverpool to gather captives.
Beaver was launched in 1796 at Liverpool. She made seven complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. She was captured and retaken once, in 1804, and captured a second time in 1807, during her eighth voyage.
Ranger was launched in Liverpool in 1789. She made four complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. A French privateer captured her in 1796 in a single ship action during her fifth voyage transporting enslaved people. She was recaptured, but thereafter disappears from online records.
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.
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.
Bud was launched at Liverpool in 1783. Between 1783 and 1800 she made 12 complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. In 1796 she repelled an attack by a faster, better armed, and more heavily crewed French privateer in a single ship action. Then in 1798, a French privateer captured her in another single ship action after Bud's short but sanguinary resistance. The Royal Navy quickly captured her, and her captor. On her 13th enslaving voyage she was condemned at Kingston, Jamaica after she had arrived with her captives.