| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Beaver |
| Namesake | Beaver |
| Launched | 1796, Liverpool |
| Captured | 1807 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 235, [1] or 243, [2] or 262, [2] (bm) |
| Complement | |
| Armament | |
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.
Beaver first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in the volume for 1796. [1]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1796 | Grayerson | Molineaux | Liverpool–Africa | LR |
1st voyage transporting enslaved people (1796–1797): Captain Alexander Grierson sailed from Liverpool on 3 March 1796. [3] In 1796, 103 vessels sailed from English ports, bound for Africa to acquire and transport enslaved people; 94 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [4]
Beaver arrived at Barbados on 22 November with 390 captives that she sold there. [3] [5] She sailed from Barbados on 11 December and arrived back at Liverpool on 22 January 1797. [3] From Barbados she had sailed to Demerara before returning to Liverpool. She had left Liverpool with 29 crew members and she had suffered seven crew deaths on her voyage. [3]
2nd voyage transporting enslaved people (1797–1798): Captain Alexander Grierson acquired a letter of marque on 16 March 1797. [2] [6] He sailed from Liverpool on 29 March. [6] In 1797, 104 vessels sailed from English ports, bound for Africa to acquire and transport enslaved people; 90 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [4]
Beaver arrived on the Windward Coast. She was next reported to have been at Angola. Beaver stopped at Barbados and arrived at Demerara from Ambona on 22 November with 350 captives. She left Demerara on 1 February 1798 and arrived back at Liverpool on 2 April. She arrived with William Neale, master, apparently having changed masters in Demerara. She had left Liverpool with 35 crew members and she had suffered five crew deaths on her voyage. [6]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1798 | Greirson W.Murray | Molineaux | Liverpool–Africa | LR |
3rd voyage transporting enslaved people (1798–1800): Captain William Murray sailed from Liverpool on 29 October 1798. [7] In 1798, 160 vessels sailed from English ports, bound for Africa to acquire and transport enslaved people; 149 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. This was the highest number of vessels during the period 1795–1804. [4]
On her way to Africa, Beaver was in company with Otter, Captain Grierson, when they captured a brig on her way to Bilbao. The brig was carrying naval stores. [8]
Beaver was reported at Angola. She was at Demerara and arrived at Kingston, Jamaica on 13 October 1799 with 380 captives. She sailed from Kingston on 15 November and arrived back at Liverpool on 17 January 1800. She had left Liverpool with 38 crew members and she had suffered eight crew deaths on her voyage. [7]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | W.Murray C.Brew | Molyneaux Rigby & Co. | Liverpool–Africa | LR |
4th voyage transporting enslaved people (1800–1802): Captain Christopher Brew acquired a letter of marque on 6 May 1800. [2] He sailed from Liverpool on 26 June, stopping at Lisbon on the way. In 1800, 133 vessels sailed from English ports, bound for Africa to acquire and transport enslaved people; 120 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [4]
Beaver arrived at Suriname on 18 September 1801, having stopped at Prince's Island on her way from Africa. She arrived back at Liverpool on 18 January 1802. She had left Liverpool with 39 crew members and had suffered 13 crew deaths on her voyage. [9]
Lloyd's List reported on 17 November 1801 that the ship Allison had been captured while sailing from Newfoundland to the West Indies, but that the letter of marques Beaver and Otter had recaptured her and sent her into Suriname. [10]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1802 | C.Brew R.Taylor | Rigby & Co. Lowther & Co. | Liverpool–Africa | LR |
5th voyage transporting enslaved people (1802–1803): Captain Robert Taylor arrived at Gravesend from Limerick on 25 March 1802. She sailed from Liverpool on 15 May 1802. [11] In 1802, 155 vessels sailed from English ports, bound for Africa to acquire and transport enslaved people; 122 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [4]
Beaver acquired captives at New Calabar and arrived at Suriname on 24 November with 250 captives. She arrived back at Liverpool on 20 April 1803. [11]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1803 | R.Taylor Christie | Lowther & Co. Hind | Liverpool–Africa | LR |
6th voyage transporting enslaved people (1803–1804): Captain David Christie acquired a letter of marque on 2 December 1803. [2] He sailed from Liverpool on 20 December 1803. [12] In 1803, 155 vessels sailed from English ports, bound for Africa to acquire and transport enslaved people; 122 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [4]
In September 1804, Lloyd's List reported that Beaver had been taken in the West Indies while sailing to Barbados from Africa, [13] but had been retaken and sent into Antigua. [14] The recapture took place on 25 June and the recaptor was HMS Galatea. Beaver was carrying captives and ivory. [15] Newspaper accounts put the number of captives at 250.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1806 | Christie White | Hind Bigg & Co. | Liverpool–Africa | LR; large repair 1805 |
7th voyage transporting enslaved people (1805–1806): Captain Robert White acquired a letter of marque on 1 October 1805. [2] He sailed from Liverpool on 27 October 1805. [16]
Beaver acquired captives at Bonny and arrived at St Lucia on 18 April 1806. She sailed for Liverpool on 21 May and arrived there on 6 July. She had left Liverpool with 40 crew members and had suffered 10 crew deaths on her voyage. [16]
She brought with her two casks of Guinea pepper, 138 hogsheads and eight barrels of sugar, 73 bales of cotton, 164 bags of cocoa, and 46 casks and two barrels of coffee, all for the account of her owners, Begg & Co. Captain White brought back one hogshead of Madeira wine for his own account.
8th voyage transporting enslaved people (1807–Loss): Captain John Bradley acquired a letter of marque on 14 January 1807. [2] He sailed from Liverpool on 14 February 1807. [17]
Beaver arrived at Barbados from Africa on 21 August. She had embarked 284 captives. [17]
Lloyd's List reported in December 1807 that the French privateer General Ferrand had captured a copper-bottomed Guineaman from Liverpool, of 18 guns, and carrying 250 captives. She had been sailing from Barbados when captured. Lloyd's List reported that the Guineaman was believed to have been Beaver, and that she had been taken into Cuba. [18] [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2]
In 1807, 12 British vessels in the triangular trade were lost; six of these vessels were lost on the Middle Passage, sailing from Africa to the West Indies. [21] 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 enslaving vessels. [22]
Allison was launched in France in 1776, almost certainly under another name. The British captured her in 1795. Between 1796 and 1799 she made two whaling voyages to the British southern whale fishery. Then between 1799 and 1807 she made three voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Between the first and the second a French privateer captured her, but British letters of marque recaptured her. The British slave trade was abolished in 1807 and thereafter Allison traded primarily as a coaster. After about 1840 she began to trade to America and Africa. She was lost c.1846.
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.
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.
Ariadne was built in 1795 at Newbury, Massachusetts, probably under another name. She in 1801 became a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made two voyages transporting enslaved people before a French, and later a Dutch privateer, captured her in 1804 while she was acquiring captives on her third voyage. However, a Liverpool-based vessel recaptured her. Then in 1806, a French privateer captured her and took her into Guadeloupe while Ariadne was on her fourth voyage transporting 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.
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.
Roe was launched in France in 1792, almost certainly under another name. The British captured her and between 1801 and 1808 she became a Liverpool based slave ship, making four voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After the end of the British slave trade Roe traded with Brazil. The Americans captured her in 1812 but she was quickly recaptured. She was wrecked in November 1814.
Nile was launched at Nantes in 1795 and was captured or purchased from the French in 1802. She then made four voyages from Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Between her first and second voyages transporting enslaved people she cruised for less than year as a privateer. With the abolition in 1807 of the slave trade, Nile became a regular merchantman, but now trading with Africa. She was sold in Barbados in 1811.
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.
Thames was launched at Southampton in 1790. Until 1798 she sailed across the Atlantic, trading primarily with The Bahamas. She then became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made seven voyages transporting enslaved people. After the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807, Thames returned to trading with the West Indies. A French privateer captured Thames on 17 July 1811 and burnt her.
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.
Frances was built in India or the East Indies circa 1795, possibly under another name, and entered British records in 1803. Between 1803 and 1807 she made three voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. After the end of British participation in the slave trade in 1807, Frances started trading with Spain and the West Indies. She was wrecked in January 1809.
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.
Molly was launched at Liverpool in 1778 as a slave ship. Between 1778 and 1807 she made 18 complete voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. During this period she also suffered one major maritime incident and captured two ships. After the end of Britain's involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Molly became a merchantman trading with the West Indies, Africa, Brazil, Nova Scotia, and Africa again. She was last listed in 1832, giving her a 54-year career.
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.
Dart was launched at Plymouth in 1787. Dart initially traded with Newfoundland and then the Mediterranean. From 1797 she made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was condemned at Barbados in 1802 as she was returning to London after having delivered captives to Demerara.
Nicholson was launched at Liverpool in 1802 as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made four complete voyages transporting captives. Then when the Slave Trade Act 1807 ended British participation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade she started trading with Brazil. She was wrecked in 1810 returning to Liverpool from Pernambuco.
Elizabeth was launched at Liverpool in 1798. She made five complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Spanish privateers captured her in 1805 while she was on her sixth voyage after she had embarked enslave people and took her into Montevideo.
Aeolus was built in Liverpool. Between 1787 and 1806 she made 13 voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On one voyage she repelled an attack by a French privateer in a single ship action. She was last listed in 1808.
Urania was launched in 1795 in Spain and taken in prize. Starting in 1800 she made three voyages from Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During the third voyage she was involved in two engagements with French vessels. She was so damaged in the second of these that she was condemned in 1804 after she landed her slaves at Demerara.