| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Elizabeth |
| Owner | John Bolton (merchant) |
| Launched | 1798, Liverpool |
| Captured | 1805 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 310, [1] or 327 [2] (bm) |
| Complement | |
| Armament | |
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 enslaved people and took her into Montevideo.
Elizabeth first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR), in 1798. [1]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1798 | H.Bond C.Kinseale | J.Bolton | Liverpool–St Vincent Liverpool–Africa | LR |
Captain Henry Bond acquired a letter of marque on 19 March 1798. [2]
1st voyage transporting enslaved people (1798–1799): Captain Charles Kneal acquired a letter of marque on 9 October 1798. Captain Kneale sailed on 12 November. [3] In 1798, 160 vessels sailed from English ports, bound on voyages to acquire and transport enslaved people; 149 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [4]
Kneale acquired captives at Bonny and arrived at Martinique on 26 July 1799 with 455 captives. Elizabeth left Martinique on 31 August and arrived back at Liverpool on 12 October. She had left on her voyage with 53 crew members and she had suffered nine crew deaths on her voyage. [3]
2nd voyage transporting enslaved people (1800–1801): Captain John Mill acquired a letter of marque on 1 March 1800. [2] In 1800, 133 vessels sailed from English ports, bound on voyages to acquire and transport enslaved people; 120 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [4]
Mill acquired captives at Iles de Los and sailed from there on 20 September. Elizabeth arrived at Suriname on 7 November with 313 captives. She sailed from Suriname on 15 February 1801 and arrived at Liverpool on 20 April. She had left the United Kingdom with 53 crew members and had suffered 34 crew deaths on her voyage. [5]
3rd voyage transporting enslaved people (1801–1802): Captain James Giles acquired a letter of marque on 26 May 1801. [2] He sailed on 4 June 1801. [6] In 1801, 147 vessels sailed from English ports, bound on voyages to acquire and transport enslaved people; 122 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [4]
Giles acquired captives first on the Gold Coast, and then at Bonny. Elizabeth arrived at Demerara on 25 December. She arrived back at Liverpool on 7 June 1802. She had left the United Kingdom with 49 crew members and had suffered four crew deaths on her voyage. [6]
4th voyage transporting enslaved people (1802–1803): Because Giles sailed during the Peace of Amiens, he did not sail with a letter of marque. He sailed on 6 August 1802. [7] In 1802, 155 vessels sailed from English ports, bound on voyages to acquire and transport enslaved people; 122 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [4]
Giles acquired captives at Cape Coast Castle. Elizabeth sailed from Africa on 6 February 1803 and arrived at Demerara in March. She sailed from Demerara on 20 April and arrived back at Liverpool on 31 May. [7]
5th voyage transporting enslaved people (1804): When Captain Giles sailed again, war with France had resumed. He acquired a letter of marque on 10 January 1804. [2] He sailed from Liverpool on 26 January. [8] In 1804, 147 vessels sailed from English ports, bound on voyages to acquire and transport enslaved people; 126 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [4]
Giles acquired captives at Bonny. Elizabeth left Africa on 24 May and arrived at Havana on 22 July with 334 captives. She sailed from Havana on 18 September and arrived back at Liverpool on 2 November. She had left Liverpool with 45 crew members and had suffered eight crew deaths on her voyage. [8] [lower-alpha 1]
6th voyage transporting enslaved people (1805–loss): Captain Samuel Hensley acquired a letter of marque on 9 January 1805. [2] He sailed from Liverpool on 29 January. [9]
On 2 February Elizabeth repelled an attack by a French privateer at 48°2′N12°15′W / 48.033°N 12.250°W in a single ship action. The privateer had "Swift of Norfolk" painted on her stern and was armed with twenty 24-pounder carronades on her main deck and lighter guns on her quarterdeck. Elizabeth had one man killed and six wounded, and suffered extensive damage. [10] [11]
Elizabeth acquired captives at the Congo River and sailed from there on 14 August. [9]
In December 1805 Lloyd's List reported that Elizabeth, Hensley, master, and Nelly, Selden, master, had been captured at Angola. [12]
Elizabeth and Nelly were among the seven vessels off the Congo River that had fallen prey to a privateer. [lower-alpha 2] The privateer was described as being of 22 guns and 350 men. Nelly's captor sent her to the River Plate. [13] A second report named the captors as L'Orient, of 14 guns, and Dromedario, of 22 guns. The captured vessels arrived in the River Plate before 12 November. [14] Elizabeth arrived at Montevideo on 17 October with 128 enslaved people. [9]
Spanish records report that in June 1805, Viceroy Sobremonte, of Argentina, issued two letters of marque, one for Dolores (24 guns), Currand, master, and Berro y Errasquin, owner, and one for Dromedario (20 guns), Hippolito Mordel, master, and Canuerso y Masini, owner. The two sailed for the African coast, looking to capture enslaving ships. In three months of cruising Dolores captured three ships and one brig, carrying a total 600 enslaved people. Dromedario captured five ships, carrying a total of 500 enslaved people. [15]
In 1805, 30 British slave ships were lost. Thirteen were lost on the coast of Africa. [16] During the period 1793 to 1807, war, rather than maritime hazards or slave resistance, was the greatest cause of vessel losses among British slave vessels. [17]
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.
Iris was launched at Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. In all she made eight voyages (1783-1800) transporting captives from West Africa to the Caribbean. She also made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) to Bengal and back (1795-1796). She was condemned in Jamaica in December 1800 as unseaworthy.
Lord Nelson was launched in 1798 at Liverpool and subsequently made five voyages carrying enslaved people from West Africa to the West Indies in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On her first voyage she helped suppress a revolt on another vessel by that vessel's captives. This gave rise to an interesting case in salvage money. A French naval squadron captured Lord Nelson off Sierra Leone on her sixth voyage, before she had embarked any captives.
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.
Windsor Castle was launched at Whitby in 1783. Initially she was primarily a West Indiaman. Then from 1797 she made five voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She foundered off Bermuda in 1803 after having disembarked her captives.
Roe was launched in France in 1787, almost certainly under another name. She was taken in prize and became a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French captured her in 1798, as she was on her way home after she had delivered captives to Demerara.
King George was a French ship that the British captured circa 1797. Her new owners renamed her and employed her as a Liverpool-based slave ship. She made three complete voyages in the triangular trade, transporting enslaved peoples from Africa to the West Indies. She was lost on her fourth voyage in February 1803 as she returned to Liverpool after having delivered captives to Havana.
Harriot was launched in Liverpool in 1786. For many years she was a West Indiaman, sailing between Liverpool and Barbados. In 1796 a French frigate captured her, but the British Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. At the beginning of her of her first slave trading voyage a French privateer captured her, and again the Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She made five slave trading voyages in all. Thereafter she traded with South America. She was last listed in 1814 with stale data.
Backhouse was launched in 1785 at Chester. She initially sailed as a West Indiaman. In 1792–1793 she made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Once in 1796 and twice in 1797 she repelled attacks by French privateers in three single-ship actions. Backhouse made four more voyages transporting enslaved people and then returned to the West Indies trade. After about 1809 she became a London coaster and was last listed in 1813.
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.
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.
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.
Orange Grove was probably of Danish origin. She first appeared in British records in 1800. She made one complete voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French captured her in 1804 during her second slave trading voyage after she had embarked slaves but before she could land them in the West Indies.
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.
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.
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.