Career
Lord Nelson first appeared in the Register of Shipping only in 1802. Her master was Sanderson, changing to M'Kinnis, her owner was Hankinson, and her trade was Liverpool–Leghorn, changing to Liverpool–Africa. [3]
Slave trading voyage #1 (1802-1803): Captain John Maginnis sailed from Liverpool on 3 September 1802, Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands. The voyage began during the Peace of Amiens so he did not acquire a letter of marque. Lord Nelson gathered her slaves at New Calabar and arrived at Havana on 16 May 1803. She had embarked 287 slaves and she landed 258, for a loss rate of 33%. She left Havana on 27 July and arrived at Liverpool on 14 September. She had left Liverpool with 30 crew members and she suffered 10 crew deaths on the voyage. [1]
Slave trading voyage #2 (1804-1805): Captain John Maginnis acquired a letter of marque on 17 January 1804. [2] Lord Nelson sailed from Liverpool on 15 March 1804. She gathered her slaves in Africa and arrived at St Thomas on 6 October 1810. She had embarked 352 slaves and she landed 316, for a loss rate of 10.2%. [1]
On 26 December 1804, Lord Nelson, Nymphe, Captain Heinsen, of 10 guns, and Harmony, Captain Reed, of 20 guns, sailed from St Thomas's together for mutual protection, bound for Liverpool. A few hours after they had left port they encountered a French privateer schooner of 10 guns (two of them 12-pounders), and 100 men, the entire crew from the captain on down being black.
Maginnis, seeing the privateer attempting to catch Nymphe, stopped to give her time to catch up. However, the privateer captured Nymphe before she could reach Lord Nelson. Harmony took the opportunity to escape. Maginnis then set sail again, with the privateer in pursuit. The pursuit continued through the night and into the next day, with the privateer finally catching up at 3pm. An engagement ensued that lasted for an hour and a half with the privateer several times unsuccessfully trying to come up and board. Eventually the privateer sailed way, her sails and rigging much damaged and her bulwarks entirely gone. [5]
Lord Nelson arrived at Liverpool on 5 February 1805. She had left with 39 crew members and she suffered 6 crew deaths on the voyage. [1]
Slave trading voyage #3 (1803-1804): Captain Robert Martin acquired a letter of marque on 11 October 1805. [2] He sailed from Liverpool on 2 November 1805, bound for the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands.
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.
Plover was launched at Liverpool in 1788. Her whereabouts between 1798 and 1802 are currently obscure. She became a Liverpool-based slaver in 1802 and made three voyages delivering slaves from West Africa to the West indies before the French Navy captured her in 1806 as she was starting her fourth slaving voyage. The French Navy may have commissioned her as a corvette, but if so her service was brief.
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.
Elizabeth was launched at Bermuda in 1786 or 1790. She first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1802. She then made four voyages as a slave ship, during the second of which a French privateer captured her. Next, she spent a little over a year as a hired armed tender under contract to the British Royal Navy. She returned to mercantile service trading with Madeira or Africa, until another French privateer captured her in early 1810.
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 at Liverpool in 1803. She made a short voyage as a privateer during which she captured a valuable prize. She then made two voyages as a slave ship. A French naval squadron captured her early in her third slaving voyage.
Ariadne was built in 1795 at Newbury, Massachusetts, probably under another name. She became a Liverpool-based slave ship in 1801. A French or Dutch privateer captured her in 1804, but a Liverpool-based vessel recaptured her. Then in 1806 a French privateer captured her and took her into Guadeloupe.
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.
Angola was launched in 1799 at Lancaster. She became a Liverpool-based slave ship that had made four voyages carrying slaves from West Africa to the West Indies. The French had captured her in 1804 on her fifth voyage. Her captors renamed her Tigre, but the Royal Navy recaptured her late in 1804.
Nile was launched at Nantes in 1795 and was captured or purchased from the French in 1802. She then made four voyages as a slave trader. Between her first and second slave trading voyages she cruised for less than year as a privateer. With the abolition in 1807 of the slave trade, Nile became a regular merchantman, but now trading with Africa. She was sold in Barbados in 1811.
Dick was a French vessel built in Spain, almost certainly sailing under another name, that the British captured circa 1798. She made a voyage to the West Indies during which she repelled two attacks, and captured three prizes. She then became a slave ship that made three slave-trading voyages. Her first voyage was cut short when a French privateer captured her and the Royal Navy recaptured her. She then made two complete voyages. After her return in 1803 from her third voyage she became a West Indiaman. She grounded in 1804 after another vessel had run into her. She was last listed in 1809.
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.
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. Spanish privateers captured her in 1805 on her fifth slave voyage.
Laurel's origins are ambiguous. She first appeared in online British sources in 1802. She made three voyages from Liverpool to Africa. On the first she apparently was on a trading voyage. The second was a complete voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During this voyage she was involved in two sanguinary engagements with French vessels, the second of which resulted in the death of her master. She set out on a second slave trading voyage in 1805 but a French squadron captured her before she had embarked any slaves.
Spain 
United Kingdom