Liverpool Hero (ship)

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Several vessels have been named Liverpool Hero for the port of Liverpool.

Contents

Liverpool Hero (1781 ship)

Liverpool Hero (1798 ship)

History
British-Red-Ensign-1707.svg Great Britain
NameLiverpool Hero
Launched1791, Spain [1]
Acquiredcirca 1798
FateLost 1801
General characteristics
Tons burthen219, [1] [2] or 234 [2] (bm)
Complement
Armament
  • 1798: 6 × 3-pounder guns
  • 1798: 10 × 6&9-pounder guns [2]
  • 1798: 18 × 9&12-pounder guns [2]
  • 1799: 18 × 6&9-pounder guns [2]
NotesTwo decks; mahogany-built

Liverpool Hero was built in Spain, or its colonies, in 1791, almost certainly under another name. She was taken in prize and entered British records in 1798 as a West Indiaman. She then entered into the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made one complete voyage as a slave ship and was lost in 1801 near Suriname on her second voyage. All the slaves aboard her reportedly drowned.

Career

Liverpool Hero first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1798. [1] Captain James Fitzpatrick acquired a letter-of-marque on 12 March 1798. [2]

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource
1798FitzpatrickBrettargheLiverpool–BarbadosLR

Lloyd's List 's ship arrival and departure data show that Liverpool Hero, Fitzpatrick, master, made one voyage to Martinique.

Although the entry in LR for Liverpool Hero remained unchanged until after her loss in 1801, new owners in late 1798 entered her into the slave trade.

1st slave voyage (1799–1800): Captain Alexander Hackney acquired a letter-of-marque on 9 November 1798. [2] Hackney (or Hackery), sailed from Liverpool on 4 January 1799. In early 1800 she was at Lisbon. Liverpool Hero acquired her slaves on the Gold Coast and arrived at Suriname on 28 September. She sailed from Suriname on 17 December and arrived back at Liverpool on 30 January 1800, having sailed via Barbados. She had sailed from Liverpool with 51 crew members and she had suffered 11 crew deaths on her voyage. [3]

2nd slave voyage (1800–Loss): Captain Alexander Laing acquired a letter-of-marque on 16 July 1800. [2] He sailed from Liverpool on 1 September 1800 with 39 crew members. [4]

Loss

In June 1801, Lloyd's List reported that Liverpool Hero, from Africa, had been lost near Suriname. [5]

A secondary source reported that Liverpool Hero, Captain Alexander Laing, had sailed from Liverpool to Porto-Novo. She then had wrecked on her voyage from Africa to the West Indies. The source reports that all hands and the slaves trapped in the hold were drowned. [6] However, the same source states that Dick, Alexander Laing, master, had delivered slaves to Demerara in 1804. [7] Another secondary source reports that Captain Alexander Laing died on Dick on 3 July 1804, during another slave voyage. [8]

The Star reported that the ship's first and third mate, along with seven of the crew, made it to shore in Cayenne with the ship's boat and a canoe. [9]

In 1801, 23 British slave ships were lost. Of these, ten were lost in the Middle Passage, between the coast of Africa and the West Indies. In 1802, a year mostly of peace because of the Peace of Amiens, the numbers were 12 and five. [10] Between 1798 and 1802, about 160 vessels per year sailed from British ports on enslaving voyages. [11]

Liverpool Hero (1809 ship)

Related Research Articles

<i>Will</i> (1797 ship) British enslaving ship 1797–1806

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.

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. She captured several French merchant vessels. Later she became a slave ship, making five voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was lost at Charleston in September 1804 in a hurricane.

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 at Liverpool in 1797. She then made six voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade carrying enslaved people 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.

Hannah was built at Liverpool in 1795. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was lost in 1801 as she was returning home after having delivered her captives on her fourth voyage.

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. A French privateer captured her in June or July 1808.

Prince was launched at Bristol in 1785 as Alexander and then made two complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Her owners changed her name to Prince in 1787. As Prince, she made six more complete voyages as an enslaving ship. She sailed on enslaving voyages for owners in Bristol, Liverpool, and London. She foundered in 1800 as she was returning to England from her ninth, having delivered captives to Jamaica.

Resource was launched at Bermuda in 1792, possibly under another name, and sailed from Liverpool from 1798 on. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French Navy captured her in 1805 at the very beginning of her fifth voyage. However, the British recaptured her when her captors sent her into the Cape of Good Hope, not realising that the Royal Navy was capturing the Cape.

Nimble was built in Folkestone in 1781, possibly under another name. In 1786 Nimble was almost rebuilt and lengthened. Between 1786 and 1798 she made nine voyages as a whaler in the British Southern Whale Fishery. Between 1799 and 1804 she made four voyages from Liverpool as a slave ship. On her first voyage as to gather captives she detained a neutral vessel, an action that resulted in a court case. On her second voyage to gather captives, a French privateer captured her, but the Royal Navy recaptured her. She was sold in 1804 at St Thomas after she had delivered her captives.

Betsey was launched in 1790 at Liverpool as a slave ship. She made six complete voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On her second such voyage she, together with five other slave ships, bombarded Calabar for more than three hours to force the local native traders to lower the prices they were charging for captives. A French privateer captured her in 1799 after she had delivered her captives on her seventh voyage.

Roehampton was a ship built in the United States in 1792, possibly in Baltimore, and almost certainly under another name. Between 1798 and 1803 she traded between England and North America. From 1803 she made two complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She disappeared on her way home on her third.

Liverpool Hero was built in France in 1777, probably as Jeune Emilia. She was taken in prize in 1780. In 1781 she entered into the triangular trade in enslaved people. From 1781 she made six complete voyages from Liverpool as a slave ship. On her fourth enslaving voyage she suffered an exceptionally high mortality rate among the captives she had embarked. Her third voyage had been marred by high mortality, but on the fourth 330 captives, 59% of the number she had embarked, died. She was lost in 1794 off the coast of Africa on her seventh voyage, probably with her crew and captives.

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.

Trelawney or Trelawny was a ship launched at Bristol in 1781. Initially she was a West Indiaman. In 1791 she made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She then made one voyage as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. She was sold to Liverpool and then made two more voyages as an enslaving ship. She was damaged outbound on a fourth enslaving voyage and then disappears from online records.

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 captives to Demerara.

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.

Elizabeth was launched at Lancaster 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 slave voyage after she had embarked slaves.

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 LR (1798), Seq.No.L310.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Letter of Marque, p.73 – Retrieved 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  3. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Liverpool Hero voyage #82331.
  4. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Liverpool Hero voyage #82332.
  5. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4157. 5 June 1801.
  6. Dawson (2022), p. 64.
  7. Dawson (2022), p. 65.
  8. Behrendt (1990), p. 80.
  9. "Liverpool, June 6". The Star. No. 3919. London. 9 June 1801. p. 4 via The British Newspaper Archive.
  10. Inikori (1996), p. 62.
  11. Behrendt (2001), p. 174, fn.6.

Sources