Career
Although John was captured in 1797, she did not enter Lloyd's Register until 1798. It showed her master as Tucker, her owner as McDowall, changing to Tremlow, and her trade as Liverpool–Königsberg, changing to Liverpool-Charleston. [2] The entry in 1799 corrected her burthen from 260 tons to 287, and indicated that she had undergone a small repair in 1798. [3] In 1800 her master changed from Tucker to J. Still, and her owner was M'Dougal. Then in 1801 her master changed from J. Still to S. Read, and her trade was Liverpool–Africa.
1st slave voyage (1800–1801): Captain John Kitts sailed from Liverpool on 18 November 1800. John arrived at Suriname 20 April 1801 and landed 76 slaves. At some point Thomas Boyd replaced Kitts as captain. John sailed from Suriname on 6 July, and returned to Liverpool on 17 September. [1]
2nd slave voyage (1801–1802): Captain Samuel Reid sailed from Liverpool 28 November 1801. John gathered her slaves at Cape Coast Castle and delivered them on 10 July 1802 to Kingston, Jamaica, where she landed 280. She sailed from Kingston on 24 September and arrived back at Liverpool on 4 December. She had left with 28 crew members and she suffered two crew deaths on the voyage. [1]
3rd slave voyage (1803): Captain Charles King sailed from Liverpool on 8 March 1803. John gathered slaves at Gorée and then sailed for the West Indies. In August the French privateer Vengeance, of 14 guns and 140 men, captured John off the coast of Africa. [4] However, on 10 September Enterprize recaptured John. John had 261 slaves aboard that she then delivered to Dominica on 2 November. [1]
The Register of Shipping for 1806 showed John with Macauley, master, Jeffrey, owner, and trade still Liverpool–Africa. [6] She later became a London-based transport.
The ship that became Mary Ann was built in 1772 in France and the British captured her c. 1778. Her name may have been Ariadne until 1786 when she started to engage in whaling. Next, as Mary Ann, she made one voyage transporting convicts to New South Wales from England. In 1794 the French captured her, but by 1797 she was back in her owners' hands. She then made a slave trading voyage. Next, she became a West Indiaman, trading between London or Liverpool to Demerara. It was on one of those voyages in November 1801 that a French privateer captured her.
HMS Duguay-Trouin was an 18-gun French privateer sloop launched in 1779 at Le Havre. Surprise captured her in 1780 and the British Royal Navy took her into service under her existing name. It sold Duguay-Trouin on 30 October 1783. She then became the West Indiaman Christopher, and later a slaver. She was lost at Charleston in September 1804.
Kingsmill was a French vessel launched in 1793 under a different name, captured in 1798, and sold to British owners who renamed her. She then became a slave ship, making three voyages from Africa to the West Indies. A French privateer captured her in 1804, but she returned to her owners in 1804. In 1807 she became a West Indiaman. In 1814 she became the first ship to trade with India under a license from the British East India Company (EIC) after the EIC lost its monopoly on British trade with India. She was badly damaged in 1821 and subsequently disappears from the registers.
Otway was a French or Spanish vessel built in 1799 that became a Liverpool-based slaver in 1800. She made four voyages delivering slaves from West Africa to the West Indies before the French Navy captured her in 1806. She became the Guadeloupe-based privateer Alerte and captured a number of British merchantmen before the Royal Navy captured her i October 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 carrying slaves from West Africa to Jamaica. In 1805 she became a whaler. She was lost in 1807 off Patagonia while homeward bound from her first whaling voyage.
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. She returned to the West India trade after leaving the slave trade, and then traded more generally. She was condemned as unseaworthy and broken up in Bengal in 1815.
Allison was launched in France in 1776, almost certainly under another name. The British captured her in 1795. Between 1796 and 1799 she made two whaling voyages to the Southern Whale Fishery. Then between 1799 and 1807 she made three voyages as a slave ship. Between the first and the second a French privateer captured her, but British letters of marque recaptured her. The British slave trade was abolished in 1807 and thereafter Allison traded primarily as a coaster. After about 1840 she began to trade to America and Africa. She was lost c.1846.
Otter was launched at Liverpool in 1797, initially as a West Indiaman. She made seven voyages as a slave ship and was lost in 1807 on her way back to Britain from her seventh slave voyage.
Sarah was launched at Liverpool in 1797. She then made six voyages carrying slaves 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.
Sarah was launched in Spain in 1791, presumably under another name. The British captured her c.1798. She made five voyages as a slave ship before a Spanish privateer captured her in 1805. On her fourth voyage Sarah had captured a French ship.
Windsor Castle was launched at Whitby. Initially she was primarily a West Indiaman. Then from 1797 she made five voyages as a slave ship and foundered off Bermuda in 1803 after having disembarked her slaves.
Horatio was launched in 1800 at Liverpool. She made four voyages as a slave ship, during two of which 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 captured her, but she returned to British hands. Between 1801 and 1808 she made four voyages as a slave ship. She continued to trade widely until 1831.
Duchess of Portland was launched at Bristol in 1783. She was primarily a West Indiaman but made one voyage as a slave ship and two as a whaler in the British Southern Whale Fishery. The US Navy captured her in 1812 and burnt her.
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.
Defiance was launched in Hamburg in 1790, probably under another name. She started sailing as a slave ship out of London in 1795. 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.
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.
Agreeable was launched at Bermuda in 1786, probably under a different name. French owners acquired her at some point and sailed her as Agréable. In 1793 the British captured her. Subsequently, she made six voyages as a slave ship between 1793 and 1808, alternating between slave trading and sailing as a regular West Indiaman. French privateers captured her between the second and third, and the third and fourth, but each time the British Royal Navy recaptured her. In the case of the second capture she was in French hands long enough for them to send her out as a privateer. She herself captured an American vessel in 1808 as she was returning to Liverpool from her last slave voyage. After the end of British participation in the slave trade Agreeable traded more widely, particularly to South America. She was condemned at Buenos Aires in 1814 after running aground in the River Plate. She was repaired and continue to sail to Brazil until she returned to Liverpool in June 1819.
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.
Thames was launched at Southampton in 1790. Until 1798 she sailed across the Atlantic, trading primarily with The Bahamas. She then became a slave ship, making seven slave trading voyages. After the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807, Thames returned to trading with the West Indies. A French privateer captured Thames on 17 July 1811 and burnt her.
