| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Columbus |
| Namesake | Christopher Columbus |
| Builder | Beaulieu, [1] or Southampton |
| Launched | 1793 |
| Fate | Condemned 1807 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 338, [1] or 341, or 359, [2] or 363 [2] (bm) |
| Complement | |
| Armament | |
Columbus was launched at Southampton in 1793. At first she was a West Indiaman. Then from 1799 on she made six complete voyages as a slave ship, and was condemned at Barbados in 1807 after she had delivered her slaves on her seventh voyage.
Columbus first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1794. [1]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1794 | J.Aldis | Timperon | London–Jamaica | LR |
| 1797 | J.Aldis Willoughby | Timperon | London–Jamaica | LR |
1st slave voyage (1797–1799): Captain Thomas Willoughby sailed from London on 6 November 1797, bound for West Africa. However, while Columbus was at Deal, Captain James Aldis replaced Willoughby. Columbus acquired her slaves at Cape Coast Castle. She sailed to Demerara and then back to Kingston Jamaica. She arrived at Kingston on 25 July 1798 with 441 slaves. She sailed from Kingston on 30 October an arrived back at London on 29 January 1799. [3]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1799 | Willoughby James Hird | Timperon | London–Jamaica London–Africa | LR |
2nd slave voyage (1799–1800): Captain James Hird acquired a letter of marque on 24 July 1799. [2] Columbus sailed from London on 1 August and gathered slaves at Bonny. She arrived at Kingston, Jamaica on 21 March 1800 with 472 slaves. [4]
3rd slave voyage (1800–1801): Captain James Frodsham acquired a letter of marque on 13 October 1800. [2] He sailed for West Africa on 7 November. Columbus arrived at Kingston on 21 April 1801 with 326 slaves. She arrived in London on 10 September. [5]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1801 | Frodsham J.Cromartie | Timperon | London–Africa | LR |
4th slave voyage (1801–1802): Captain Cromartie sailed from London on 29 November 1801, bound for Africa. [6] On 17 December Columbus was "all well" and in company with another Timperon-owned ship, Ann, Riddle, master, at 7°30′N16°10′W / 7.500°N 16.167°W as they were on their way to Africa. [7] Columbus acquired slaves at Bonny. At some point Captain James Forbes replaced Cromartie as Columbus, Forbes, master, arrived at Kingston on 12 July 1802 with 336 slaves. She sailed for London 6 September and arrived back there on 8 December. [6]
5th slave voyage (1803–1804): Captain James Rimmes acquired a letter of marque on 2 June 1803. [2] Captain Rimmer sailed from London on 19 June 1803. Columbus reached Barbados from Africa and sailed on to Kingston, Jamaica. She arrived there on 13 November with 337 slaves. She sailed for England 21 March 1804. [8]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1804 | Rimmer Lee | Timperon | London–Africa | LR |
On 1 September 1804 Columbus, Lee, master, sailed from Cork for Jamaica. She arrived at Barbados from Liverpool about 1 November and in Jamaica on 12 November.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1805 | Lee P.Callan | Hart & Co. | Cork–Africa | LR |
6th slave voyage (1805–1806): Captain Patrick Callan acquired a letter of marque on 22 August 1805. [2] He sailed for West Africa on 10 September. Columbus acquired her slaves at Cape Grand Mount and arrived at Kingston on 25 February 1806 with 309 slaves. She left Kingston on 1 April and arrived at Liverpool on 26 June. She had left Great Britain with 49 crew members and suffered five crew deaths on her voyage. [9]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1805 | P.Callan A.Elliott | Litt & Co. | Liverpool–Africa | LR |
7th slave voyage (1806–1807): Captain Adam Elliott acquired a letter of marque on 5 August 1806. [2] He sailed from Liverpool on 25 September, bound for Africa. Columbus arrived in Barbados on 27 August 1807. She had left Liverpool with 58 crew members and she suffered 20 crew deaths on her voyage. [10]
Columbus was condemned at Barbados after she had delivered her slaves. [10]
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.
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 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.
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.
Vanguard was launched in Liverpool in 1799. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After the outlawing of the British slave trade she became a West Indiaman. A French privateer captured her in March 1809.
Adventure was a vessel built in France that the British captured c.1799. New owners immediately sailed her as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She then made a voyage as West Indiaman during which a French privateer captured her, but the British Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She made a second slave trading voyage. Thereafter she became a general trader, trading primarily with the Baltic. She was wrecked in October 1814. Although she was refloated and taken into Copenhagen, she disappeared from subsequent ship arrival and departure data.
Alexander was launched in France or Spain in 1797, probably under another name, and taken in prize circa 1799, when she was lengthened and raised. She was registered at Liverpool in 1801 and proceeded to make six voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She then sailed to Brazil and the West Indies and was last listed in 1809.
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.
Martha was launched in 1788 in Liverpool. She made eleven voyages as a slave ship, carrying slaves from West Africa to the West Indies. On her fourth voyage, she and five other vessels bombarded Calabar for more than three hours to force the local native traders to lower the prices they were charging for slaves. After her last slave trading voyage in 1803, Martha became a West Indiaman. She was wrecked circa October 1806.
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.
Expedition was launched in 1763, almost certainly under another name. She entered the registers as Expedition in 1795. Between 1799 and 1807 she made seven voyages as a Liverpool-based slave ship. She was condemned as unseaworthy at Antigua in early 1808 after disembarking at Jamaica the slaves from her seventh voyage.
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.
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.
Egyptian was launched in 1788 in France. She was taken in prize circa 1799 and became a Liverpool-based slave ship. She made two complete voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was condemned at Jamaica after having delivered her captives on her third voyage.
Ann was launched at Chester in 1792 as a West Indiaman. From 1796 she made nine 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.
Bacchus was launched in 1775 at Bristol, almost surely under another name. She first appeared in online records as Bacchus in 1786, sailing as a West Indiaman. From 1799 to 1807 she was a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was condemned in 1807 at Trinidad after she had delivered the slaves she had gathered on her fifth slave voyage.
True Briton was launched at Liverpool in 1775. She made two voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During the second of these voyages there was an unsuccessful insurrection by the captives she was carrying. Then in 1777–1778 she made another enslaving voyage, this time under the name John. On her return to Liverpool, she became the privateer Bellona, and succeeded in taking several prizes. Bellona then made three enslaving voyages. In 1786 her ownership changed, and so did her name. She became Lord Stanley, and under that name proceeded to make 11 more enslaving voyages. In 1794, at Havana, a deadly fever spread through the vessel, apparently after she had landed her captives. On her last voyage the captain acted with such brutality towards a black crew member that the man, who providentially survived, sued the captain when the vessel arrived at Liverpool and won substantial damages.
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.