History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name | Argus |
Owner | Camden, Calvert and King |
Acquired | 1807 by purchase of a prize |
Fate | Condemned March 1810 |
General characteristics | |
Tons burthen | 190 [1] (bm) |
Armament | 8 × 9-pounder carronades |
Argus was launched in 1797 in the United States, possibly under another name, and taken as a French prize circa 1807. She entered United Kingdom records in 1807 when she became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After her one slave trading voyage she continued trading with Africa. She was condemned in March 1810.
Argus first entered Lloyd's Register (LR), in 1807. [1]
Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
1807 | Fraser | Calvert & Co. | London–Africa | LR |
Captain Peter John Fraser sailed from London on 14 April 1807. The Slave Trade Act 1807, which banned British participation in the slave trade, took effect on 1 May, but as Argus had cleared customs outbound before the deadline her voyage was still legal. She started acquiring captives on 8 July, first at Cape Coast Castle, and then at Accra. She arrived at Kingston on 28 January 1808 with 243 captives. She left Kingston on 17 March and arrived back at London on 15 May. [2]
Argus continued to trade with Africa. In 1809 she was reported at Africa, still with Frazer, master. On 23 March 1810 she arrived at Kinsale from Africa with Campbell, master, who apparently had replaced Frazer. On 18 May Ant, Welch, master, arrived at Gravesend from Kinsale with part of Argus's cargo. Argus had been condemned at Kinsale. [3]
Alexander, was built in France in 1791, possibly under a different name. She was taken as a prize and her new owners renamed her Alexander. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC), and then became a slave ship, making four voyages between 1798 and 1807 in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After 1807 she sailed between Liverpool and Demerara. She is last listed in 1811.
Royal Edward was launched in 1782 in France as Alexandre. The British captured her c.1796, and new owners changed her name. She then sailed for a few years as a West Indiaman before completing four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She returned to the West India trade after leaving enslaving, and then traded more generally. She was condemned as unseaworthy and broken up in Bengal in 1815.
Andersons was launched at Poole in 1798. She then made seven voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After the end of the British slave trade in 1807 her owners sold her to new owners who employed her as a West Indiaman. By 1810 she was registered in Whitby. She then served as a general merchant vessel until she was wrecked in 1823.
Caledonia was a Spanish vessel that the British captured in 1804 and that new owners renamed. She made two complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. In 1809 she disappeared from online records.
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.
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.
Aurora was launched at Chester in 1793 as a West Indiaman. During her career first the French (twice) and then the United States captured her, but she returned to British hands. Between 1801 and 1808 she made four voyages as a slave ship. She continued to trade widely until 1831.
Aurora was launched at Philadelphia in 1779. She did not appear in British registers until 1800. She then made five voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was damaged and condemned at Jamaica in 1807 after having landed her slaves from her fifth voyage.
Rose was launched at Liverpool in 1806. She made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Following the abolition of the slave trade new owners sailed her to South America, to New South Wales, and then to the South Seas as a whaler. While Rose was off Peru the U.S. Navy captured her, but released her. She returned to England and began trading with Savannah. She was last listed in 1823.
Vulture was built in France 1777 and captured. By early 1779 she was sailing as a privateer out of Liverpool. She then became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made 10 voyages as slaver and was captured in 1795 on her 11th such voyage.
Prince was launched at Bristol in 1785 as Alexander and then made two complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Her owners changed her name to Prince in 1787. As Prince, she made six more complete voyages as an enslaving ship. She sailed on enslaving voyages for owners in Bristol, Liverpool, and London. She foundered in 1800 as she was returning to England from her ninth, having delivered captives to Jamaica.
Leander was launched on the Thames in 1799. She was captured in 1801 after she had delivered the captives she had gathered on her first voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people.
Harriot was launched in Spain in 1794, almost surely under another name, and taken in prize in 1797. She made two voyages as a London-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Under new ownership, she then made three voyages as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. A privateer captured her as she was returning from her third whale-hunting voyage but the British Royal Navy recaptured her. After her recapture she became a merchantman. She was captured and condemned at Lima, Peru in March-April 1809 as a smuggler.
Agreeable was launched at Bermuda in 1786, probably under a different name. French owners acquired her at some point and sailed her as Agréable. In 1793 the British captured her. Subsequently, between 1793 and 1808, she made six voyages as a slave ship, alternating between the triangular trade in enslaved people, and sailing as a regular West Indiaman. French privateers captured her between the second and third voyages, and the third and fourth voyages, but each time the British Royal Navy recaptured her. In the case of the second capture she was in French hands long enough for them to send her out as a privateer. She herself captured an American vessel in 1808 as she was returning to Liverpool from her last enslaving voyage. After the end of British participation in trans-Atlantic enslaving trade, Agreeable traded more widely, particularly to South America. She was condemned at Buenos Aires in 1814 after running aground in the River Plate. She was repaired and continue to sail to Brazil until she returned to Liverpool in June 1819.
Backhouse was launched in 1798 at Dartmouth. In all, she made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Between the second and the third, and after the fourth, she was a West Indiaman. A French privateer captured her early in 1810 as she was returning to Britain from Brazil.
Mentor was the former HMS Wasp. The British Royal Navy sold Wasp in 1781 and she became the mercantile Polly, which traded with Africa. In 1784 Polly became the slave ship Mentor. Mentor made eight full slave-trading voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She carried captives from The Gambia to the West Indies. French privateers captured her in late 1795 as she was on her way from West Africa to the West Indies on her ninth voyage.
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.
Concord was launched at Gravesend in 1784 and initially traded between England and Ireland and then with the West Indies. Between 1786 and 1806 she made 11 voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After her last slave trading voyage, new owners started sailing Concord between the United Kingdom and Newfoundland. She foundered in 1807 while sailing from Portugal to Newfoundland.
Ann was launched at Chester in 1792 as a West Indiaman. From 1796 she made eight complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She participated in several single ship actions. On her first voyage she repelled an attack by a French privateer. On her second a privateer captured her but she was recaptured. On her ninth voyage a French privateer again captured her, but this time her captor plundered and then released her. She sank on 24 May 1810 in the Old Dock at Liverpool, but was salvaged.
Lottery was launched at Liverpool in 1796. Between 1796 and 1807 she made eight complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Detailed and insightful accounts exist for the third voyage. After the end of British participation in the trans-Atlantic enslaving trade, Lottery became a West Indiaman. She was wrecked on 30 January 1810 outbound from Liverpool.