Duchess of Portland (or Dutchess of Portland) was launched at Bristol in 1783. She was primarily a West Indiaman. However, she made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people, and two as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. She then became a transport. The US Navy captured her in 1812. She was in ballast and her captors burnt her.
Lloyd's Register (LR), and later, the Register of Shipping, both show Duchess of Portland being built in 1783. Even so, Dutchess of Portland did not appear in LR until 1787. That issue showed her with B. Francis, master, Dickinson, owner, and trade London–Dominica. [5]
The ship arrivals and departures (SAD) data in Lloyd's List (LL) showed her with Francis, master, making a voyage to Dominica, via New York, in 1787. Furthermore, in 1789 LL reported on 6 February 1789 that Duchess of Portland, Francis, master, had put into Dartmouth in great distress. She had been sailing from London to Dominica when she suffered the loss of her masts and other damage. [6] She had damages repaired in 1789.
LR for 1792 showed Duchess of Portland with E. Lamb, master, Hamilton, owner, and trade London–Jamaica, changing to London–Africa. [7]
Enslaving voyage (1792–1793): Captain Edward Lamb sailed from London on 5 December 1792. He started purchasing captives on 1 March 1793 at Cape Coast Castle. Although under the Slave Trade Act 1788 (28 Geo. 3. c. 54), Duchess of Portland was legally authorized to carry up to some 400 captives, he purchased only 99. Duchess of Portland arrived at Lucea on 24 June and landed 98 captives. At some point Captain Taylor replaced Lamb. Duchess of Portland arrived back at London on 3 November. [8]
After the passage of the Slave Trade Act 1788, masters received a bonus of £100 for a mortality rate of under 2%; the ship's surgeon received £50. For a mortality rate between two and three per cent, the bonus was halved. There was no bonus if mortality exceeded 3%. [9] [a]
LR for 1794 showed her master changing from E. Lamb to Pollock and her trade from London–Africa to London-"Grdlp". She had undergone a thorough repair in 1794. [11] The next year it showed her owner as Park. The 1798 volume showed her master changing from Pollock to J.Smith, her owner from Park to Mangles, and her trade from London–West Indies to London–Jamaica. [12]
LR for 1801 showed Duchess of Portland with W.Warlow, master, changing to Cleveland, Mangles, owner, and trade London–Jamaica, changing to London–Southern Fishery. She had undergone a large repair in 1800, [3] and lengthening. She was valued at £7000 in 1802, and the British East India Company authorized her to sail east of the Cape of Good Hope. [13] Captain Reuben Cleveland acquired a letter of marque on 10 February 1801. [1]
1st whaling voyage (1801–1802):Duchess of Portland sailed on 10 March 1801. On 19 May she put into Gibraltar for repairs to damage suffered when she repelled attacks by two privateers. Duchess of Portland, Cleveland, master, was reported "all well" on 9 December off the coast of Brazil. She returned to London on 5 September 1802. [14]
2nd whaling voyage (1802–1805): Captain Cleveland sailed from London on 17 September 1802. During her voyage she was reported off the coast of Brazil in company with Ferret and Perseverance, and then in the Pacific. She was engaged in sealing at Desolation Island shortly before arriving at Saint Helena. She returned to London on 21 March 1805. [14]
LR for 1805 showed Duchess of Portland's master changing from Cleveland to Thompson. The Register of Shipping (RS) for 1806 showed Dutchess of Portland with Thompson as master, T&R Brown as owners, and her trade as London transport. She also had had damages repaired in 1805. [15]
On 21 August 1805 Duchess of Portland sailed for Malta. [16]
Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1806 | Thompson | Bown & Co. | Cowes transport | LR; new deck and large repair 1800, damages repaired 1802, thorough repair 1804 |
Lloyd's List (LL) reported on 30 October 1812 that Commodore Rodger's squadron had captured and burnt Duchess of Portland, Thompson, master, as she was sailing from Newcastle. [17] Duchess of Portland had been sailing from New Castle for Pictou. [18] The actual captor was USS President and the capture took place on 4 July. [4]
The Register of Shipping for 1813 showed Duchess of Portland with Thompson, master and owner, and trade Southampton–London. The entry carried the annotation "CAPTURED" by her name. [2]
The British Royal Navy purchased HMS Shark on the stocks in 1775. She was launched in 1776, and in 1778 converted to a fireship and renamed HMS Salamander. The Navy sold her in 1783. She then became the mercantile Salamander. In the 1780s she was in the northern whale fishery. In 1791 she transported convicts to Australia. She then became a whaling ship in the southern whale fishery for a number of years, before becoming a general transport and then a slave ship. In 1804 the French captured her, but the Royal Navy recaptured her. Although she is last listed in 1811, she does not appear in Lloyd's List (LL) ship arrival and departure (SAD) data after 1804.
Tobago was a ship launched in 1790. She came into British hands in 1793 and was probably a prize taken immediately after the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in early 1793. She traded with Tobago for several years before new owners purchased her for whaling. She made two whaling voyages to the East Coast of Africa before her owners sold her to new owners. She then made two voyages as a slave ship. She was abandoned or condemned in 1802 after having delivered her captives on her second such voyage.
Fame was built at Bristol in 1779 as a West Indiaman. Between 1797 and 1799 she made one or two voyages to India for the British East India Company (EIC). She then made two voyages to Africa as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On her return from Africa she resumed her trading with Jamaica. She is last listed in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1807.
Crescent was launched at Rotherhithe in 1790. She initially traded with the Levant, particularly Smyrna. After the outbreak of war with France she may have tried her hand as a privateer. In 1796–1798 she made a voyage to the East Indies, almost surely on behalf of the British East India Company (EIC). A French privateer captured her but the British Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. In 1802-1804 she made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. In 1805 she became a whaler. She was lost in 1807 off Patagonia while homeward bound from her first whaling voyage.
Coldstream was launched at Shields in 1788, probably under another name. She first appeared under the Coldstream name in Lloyd's Register in 1800; her earlier history is currently obscure. Between 1801 and 1805 she made two voyages to the southern whale fishery. A French privateer captured her in 1805 during the second.
Minerva was launched in 1795 at Lancaster as a West Indiaman. In 1801 she was captured but immediately recaptured. Between 1802 and 1808 she made five voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was last listed in 1816.
Minerva was built in the Americas in 1791 and taken in prize from the Spanish. She made six voyages from London as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She is last listed in 1813 but with data stale since her last voyage transporting enslaved people in 1807.
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.
Angola was launched in 1799 at Lancaster. She became a Liverpool-based slave ship that had made four voyages in the triangular trade, carrying captives from West Africa to the West Indies. The French captured her in 1804 on her fifth voyage. Her captors renamed her Tigre, but the Royal Navy recaptured her late in 1804.
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.
Ganges was launched in 1799 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) bringing rice from Bengal for the British government. She then became a West Indiaman until the French navy captured her in 1805.
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 built in Spain in 1786 and was taken in prize. She first appears in readily accessible British records in 1800. She made three voyages as a slave ship, foundering on her third after having disembarked her slaves.
Barbara was built in France in 1792. The Royal Navy captured her circa 1798, gave her a thorough repair in one of their yards, but then sold her. She sailed on one voyage as a West Indiaman. She then became a whaler in the British Southern Whale Fisheries. On her first whaling voyage she sailed to Walvis Bay. She was captured, either near there or on her way home, and taken into the Río de la Plata.
Defiance was launched in Hamburg in 1790, probably under another name. She started sailing out of London in 1795 as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made three voyages as a slave ship between 1795 and 1800. She then left that trade but a French privateer captured her late in 1800.
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.
Goodrich was a schooner launched in Liverpool in 1799. Between 1799 and 1807, she made seven voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people, two of them while being owned by Americans. After the Slave Trade Act 1807 ended the British slave trade she became a merchantman sailing from Guernsey. A French privateer captured her in July 1808.
Resolution was launched at Liverpool in 1776 as the West Indiaman Thomas Hall; she was renamed in 1779. She sailed briefly as a privateer. Then between 1791 and 1804 Revolution made some six voyages as a whaler. On one voyage, in 1793, a French frigate captured her, but Resolution was re-captured. In 1804 a new owner returned her to the West Indies trade. She does not appear to have sailed after early 1805.
Atalanta was built in Bermuda in 1799. She sailed to London and then between 1800 and 1802 she made two complete voyages as a slave ship. New owners sailed her as a West Indiaman. She suffered a minor maritime incident in 1803. A French privateer captured her in 1804.