| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Byam |
| Owner |
|
| Builder | Padstow, or Oban [1] |
| Launched | 1800 [1] |
| Captured | 1807 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 166, [1] [2] or 170 (bm) |
| Sail plan | Snow |
| Complement | 25 [2] |
| Armament | 14 × 6&9-pounder guns [2] |
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.
Byam entered Lloyd's Register in 1800 with J. French, master, Stevenson, owner, and trade Liverpool−Antigua. [1] The next year it reported that her master had changed from J. French to G. Martin, her owner from "Grcocut" to Rodie & Co., and her trade from Liverpool−Antigua to Liverpool–Africa.
1st voyage transporting enslaved people (1801–1802): Captain George Martin sailed from Liverpool on 10 November 1801. [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. [4]
It is not clear where Byam acquired captives, but she delivered them to Saint Vincent on 16 June 1802. There she landed 199 captives. She sailed from St Vincent on 31 July and arrived back at Liverpool on 15 September. She had left Liverpool with 22 crew members and suffered eight crew deaths on her voyage. [3]
2nd voyage transporting enslaved people (1802–1804): Captain Martin sailed from Liverpool on 16 October 1802. [5] In 1802, 155 vessels sailed from British ports, bound to engage in the acquisition and transport of enslaved people; 122 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [4]
Byam acquired captives at Rio Pongo. She left Africa on 14 May 1803, and arrived at Barbados on 24 June 1803. Captain Martin died there and Captain James Seddon replaced him. [lower-alpha 1] Byam sailed on to Demerara. She had embarked 205 or 208 captives, and she landed 193, for a mortality rate of 6%. She sailed from Demerara on 14 November and arrived at Liverpool on 24 January 1804. She had left Liverpool with 24 crew members and suffered eight crew deaths on her voyage. [5]
3rd voyage transporting enslaved people (1804–1805): Captain John Bradley sailed from Liverpool on 18 July 1804. [8] In 1800, 147 vessels sailed from British ports, bound to engage in the acquisition and transport of enslaved people; 1126 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [4]
Byam delivered the captives she had gathered to Suriname, where she arrived 7 November. There she landed 204. She left Suriname on 27 January 1805 and arrived back at Liverpool on 29 March. She had left Liverpool with 23 crew members and she suffered 13 crew deaths on the voyage. [8]
4th voyage transporting enslaved people (1805–1806): Captain John Bradley acquired a letter of marque on 13 July 1805. [2] He sailed from Liverpool on 3 August 1805. [9] Lloyd's List (LL) reported on 11 February 1806, that Byam, Bradley, master, had arrived at the Congo. She had grounded at Shark's Point but had been gotten off. Her crew had to throw eight of her guns overboard, and unload her ammunition and provisions to lighten her. [10] Byam acquired captives at the Congo River and arrived at Dutch Guiana on 20 March 1606. There she landed 25 captives. [9] Byam had rescued the master, crew, and 25 captives from Jane, which had blown up while at the Congo, [11] perhaps as the result of a rebellion among the enslaved people on her. [lower-alpha 2]
Byam then sailed to Demerara, where she landed 168 captives. She sailed for home on 22 May and arrived back at Liverpool on 11 July. She had left Liverpool with 31 crew members and suffered two crew deaths on the voyage. [9]
Captain Alexander Williams sailed Byam from Liverpool on 6 January 1807 on what was to have been her fifth voyage transporting enslaved people. She acquired captives at the Rio Pongo, [13] and while there apparently suffered from a mass desertion of her crew. [14] She eventually sailed with a cargo of captives but was unable to deliver them. [13]
Lloyd's List reported on 12 April 1808 that Byam had been taken. Her captors had driven her ashore at Guadeloupe and burnt her. [15]
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. [16]
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.
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.
Governor Dowdeswell was launched in 1798 in Spain or France under another name. The British captured her in 1800. New owners in Liverpool renamed her and employed her as a slave ship for five voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. With the end of the British slave trade in 1807, new owners employed her as a whaler. She made one complete whaling voyage to the Pacific but the Spanish seized he during her second whaling voyage there.
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.
Roe was launched in France in 1792, almost certainly under another name. The British captured her and between 1801 and 1808 she became a slave ship, making four voyages out of Liverpool. 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.
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.
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.
John was launched in France in 1793, almost certainly under another name, and was taken in prize. She started trading as a West Indiaman, but then became a slave ship, making six complete voyages. She was lost in late 1806 on her seventh voyage. The slaves she was carrying were landed safely.
Active was built in Chester in 1781. Initially, she traded with the Baltic and North America. From 1798 she made four complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. A privateer captured her on 1 September 1805 during her fifth slave voyage, after she had embarked her slaves, and took her into the River Plate.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lucy was a Spanish vessel built in 1789, probably under another name. She came into British ownership in 1799. As Lucy, she proceeded to make three complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On the second of these she rather unusually assisted the British commander at Gorée in an operation to destroy a Spanish vessel at Senegal before the French could arm it as a privateer. However, a few days later a slave revolt resulted in the death of Lucy's captain. The French captured Lucy in 1806 on her fourth enslaving voyage as she was approaching the West Indies after she had embarked her captives. The capture involved a single ship action that left most of Lucy's crew dead or wounded. Her captors took Lucy into Guadeloupe, together with her captives.
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