| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | John |
| Builder | France |
| Launched | 1793 |
| Acquired | 1797 by purchase of a prize |
| Fate | Wrecked late 1806 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Tons burthen | 268, [2] or 270 (bm) |
| Complement |
|
| Armament |
|
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.
John first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1797. [2]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1797 | W.Bell | J.Bolton | Liverpool–Demerara | LR |
Captain William Bell acquired a letter of marque on 10 October 1797. [1]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1799 | W.Bell Hensley | J.Bolton | Liverpool–Demerara Liverpool–Africa | LR |
1st slave trading voyage (1799–1800): Captain Samuel Hensley acquired a letter of marque on 12 March 1799. [1] John sailed from Liverpool on 6 April. She acquired slaves at the Congo River, and on 4 September arrived at Demerara with 400 slaves. She sailed from Demerara on 2 February 1800 and arrived back at Liverpool on 18 March. She had left with 43 crew members and suffered five crew deaths on the voyage. [3]
2nd slave trading voyage (1800–1801): Captain Edward Mentor acquired a letter of marque on 28 April 1800. [1] John sailed from Liverpool on 22 May 1800, bound for the Windward Coast. She is believed to have gathered slaves on the coast between Rio Nuñez and the Assini River. [4] Edward Mentor died on 29 September 1800. [5] [lower-alpha 1] On 27 January 1801 she arrived at Demerara on 3 April with 243 slaves. She left Demerara on 3 April with Fotheringham, master, and arrived back at Liverpool on 3 June. She had left with 49 crew members and had suffered five crew deaths on the voyage. [4]
3rd slave trading voyage (1801–1802): Captain John Roach acquired a letter of marque on 2 July 1801. [1] John sailed on 20 July. She gathered her slaves at Gallinhas and brought them to Demerara, where she arrived 18 March 1802 with 247 slaves. She arrived back at Liverpool on 3 September. She had left Liverpool with 45 crew members and suffered 12 crew deaths on the voyage. [7]
4th slave trading voyage (1802–1803): Captain Roach sailed from Liverpool on 17 October 1802. John gathered slaves at Bonny and arrived at Havana on 22 May. She arrived back at Liverpool on 22 August. She had left Liverpool with 33 crew members and had suffered five crew deaths on her voyage. [8]
5th slave trading voyage (1803–1804): Captain Daniel Cox acquired a letter of marque on 15 December 1803. [1] John sailed from Liverpool for Africa on 20 December. [9] She first stopped at Demerara and then the Bahamas, before sailing to Havana. She arrived at Havana on 15 June 1804 with 302 slaves. She left for Liverpool on 30 August and arrived at Liverpool on 10 October. She had left Liverpool with 46 crew members and suffered three crew deaths on her voyage. [9] She returned to Liverpool with 1050 boxes of sugar, 26 bales of cotton, and 15 tons of logwood.
6th slave trading voyage (1805–1806): Captain Cox sailed from Liverpool on 3 March 1805. John. Phillips, master (late Cox), arrived at the Congo River on 25 July. She gathered slaves there and arrived at Barbados on 26 October with 267 slaves. She landed 57 there, and sailed on to Demerara, where she landed 229 slaves. She sailed from Demerara on 20 January 1806 and arrived at Liverpool on 27 March. She had left with 49 crew members and suffered 11 crew deaths on her voyage. [10]
In late 1805 or early 1806 John's ownership changed from Bolton to Mullion & Co. She had been sold at Demerara after she had arrived there.
7th slave trading voyage (1806–Loss): Captain David Phillips acquired a letter of marque on 2 August 1806. [1] John sailed on 27 July 1806. [11] John, Phillips, master, arrived at the Congo River from London. [12]
Lloyd's List reported in January 1807 that John, Cumming, master, was coming from Africa when she wrecked coming into Charleston. Her people were saved. [13] Another report stated John, Phillips, master, had gone ashore on Cumming's Flats while coming into Charleston, had bilged, and had been totally lost. Pilot boats brought the slaves ashore. [14] She had arrived with 380 slaves. [11]
The most comprehensive study of losses among British slave ships reports that in 1806, 33 were lost overall. Eight were lost while coming to the Americas from Africa. [15]
Elliott was launched at Liverpool in 1783. She made ten voyages as a slave ship, carrying slaves from West Africa to the West Indies. Next, she made one voyage as a whaler. She then became a merchantman, sailing between England and South America. In November 1807 French privateers captured her.
Lord Nelson was launched i 1798 at Liverpool and subsequently made five voyages carrying slaves from West Africa to the West Indies in the triangular trade in enslaved people. A French naval squadron captured her off Sierra Leone on her sixth voyage, before she had embarked any slaves.
Byam was a snow launched at Oban, or possibly Padstow, in 1800. She made four voyages trading slaves between West Africa and the West Indies before the French captured and burnt her in late 1807 or early 1808 as she was about to deliver slaves on her fifth 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.
Goodrich was a schooner launched in Liverpool in 1799. She made seven voyages as a slave ship between 1799 and 1807, two of them while being owned by Americans. After the Slave Trade Act 1807 ended the British slave trade she became a merchantman. A French privateer captured her in June or July 1808.
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. She then sailed to Brazil and the West Indies and was last listed in 1809.
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, carrying slaves 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 slaves.
Princess Royal was launched in New York in 1799 or 1800, almost certainly under another name. She first appeared in British records in 1802. between 1803 and 1808 she made four voyages as a Liverpool-based slave ship. After the end of British participation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade she became a merchantman. She was last listed in 1816.
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.
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 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.
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 also began one that was aborted after she was captured and recaptured. On her ninth voyage a French privateer again captured her, but this time her captor plundered and then released her. She returned to merchant trade until she sank on 24 May 1810 in the Old Dock at Liverpool.
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 slaves to Demerara.
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.
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. She was lost in 1804 on the coast of Africa on her sixth voyage.
Lottery was launched at Liverpool in 1796. Between 1796 and 1807 she made eight complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After the end of British participation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Lottery became a West Indiaman. She was wrecked on 30 January 1810 outbound from Liverpool.
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.
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.