| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Minerva |
| Builder | Lancaster, Lancashire |
| Launched | 1795 |
| Fate | Last listed 1816 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 185, [1] or 186 [1] (bm) |
| Complement | |
| Armament |
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Minerva was launched in 1795 at Lancaster as a West Indiaman. In 1801 she was captured but immediately recaptured. Between 1802 and 1808 she made five voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was last listed in 1816.
Minerva entered Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1795 with W. Noble, master, Danson & Co., owners, and trade Cork-Martinique. [3] In 1796 she had damages repaired.
Captain William Lynass acquired a letter of marque on 23 August 1799. [1]
On 13 May 1801, Minerva, Lynass, master, was taken off the Spanish Coast as she was sailing from Tortola to Liverpool. However, the privateer Dart, of Dover, recaptured Minerva and brought her into Dover. [4]
James Crow replaced Lynass as master and acquired a letter of marque on 8 July 1801. [1] Lloyd's List for 1802 showed Minerva, with W. Lynass, master, changing to J. Crow, Danson & Co., owners, changing to Peckop & Co., and trade Liverpool–Tortola. [5]
Minerva's new owners registered her at Liverpool in 1802, and then employed her as a slaver.
1st voyage transporting enslaved people (1802–1803): Captain George Cannon sailed from Liverpool on 29 September 1802. [6] In 1802, 155 vessels sailed from England, bound for Africa to engage in transporting enslaved people; 122 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [7]
Minerva acquired captives at Bonny, and arrived at the Bahamas on 19 April 1803. There she landed 212 captives. She arrived back at Liverpool on 15 August. She had left with 24 crew men and she suffered one crew death on the voyage. [6]
2nd voyage transporting enslaved people (1803–1804): Captain William Brown acquired a letter of marque on 7 October 1803. [1] He sailed from Liverpool on 20 November 1803. [8] In 1803, 99 vessels sailed from England, bound for Africa to engage in transporting enslaved people; 83 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [7]
Minerva acquired captives in West Africa and arrived at Kingston, Jamaica on 4 April 1804. There she landed 215 captives. She left on 17 June and arrived back at Liverpool on 11 August. She had left Liverpool with 35 crew members and she suffered 13 crew deaths on the voyage. [8]
3rd voyage transporting enslaved people (1804–1805): Captain Brown sailed from Liverpool on 4 December 1804. [9] In 1804, 147 vessels sailed from England, bound for Africa to engage in transporting enslaved people; 126 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool. [7]
Minerva acquired captives slaves on the Windward Coast, i.e., between Nunez and Assini. She arrived at Demerara on 30 March 1805, where she landed 215 captives. She arrived back at Liverpool on 14 October 1805. She had left with 33 crew members and she suffered 10 crew deaths on the voyage. [9]
4th voyage transporting enslaved people (1806–1807): Captain William Stowell sailed from Liverpool on 24 March 1806. [10]
Minerva acquired captives at Rio Pongo and the sierra Leone estuary. She arrived at Demerara on 10 October and there landed 198 captives. She left on 21 January 1807 and arrived back at Liverpool on 8 April. She had left with 29 crew members and suffered nine crew deaths on the voyage. [10]
5th voyage transporting enslaved people (1807–1808): Captain James Scarisbrick sailed from Liverpool on 3 May 1807. [11]
Minerva acquired captives at the Sierra Leone estuary, Cape Mesurado, and Cape Mount. She arrived at Barbados on 8 February 1808, where she landed 122 captives. Captain James Hannah then sailed her to Berbice with 179 captives, the remainder of her cargo. Minerva arrived back at Liverpool on 3 September. She had left with 27 crew members and she lost seven on the voyage. [11]
Some 100 of the captives Minerva carried may have been survivors from the explosion that sank Ann in the Sierra Leone estuary in mid-December 1807. [12]
The Slave Trade Act 1807 banned the slave trade within the British Empire. Because Minerva's clearance from Liverpool was dated before the deadline of 1 May 1807, her voyage was still legal. (The last legal voyage was that of Kitty's Amelia, which left on 27 July.)
Her owners sold Minerva; James Hannah remained her master. The Register of Shipping (RS) for 1809 showed her with Hannah, master, Ackers & Co., owners, and trade Liverpool–Spain. [2]
Minerva was last listed in 1816, still with Hannah, master, and Akers, owner. Her trade was Liverpool–St Thomas. [13]
Elliott was launched at Liverpool in 1783. She made ten voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade, carrying enslaved people 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.
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 in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During the second of these voyages a French privateer captured her. After the end of British participation in the trans-Atlantic trade in enslaved people, 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.
Adventure was launched at Liverpool in 1802. She made three voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. A French privateer captured her in 1806 on her fourth voyage.
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 in Spain in 1791, presumably under another name. The British captured her c.1798. She made five voyages as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people before a Spanish privateer captured her in 1805 on her sixth voyage. On her fifth voyage Sarah had captured two French slave ships at Loango.
Byam was a snow launched at Oban, or possibly Padstow, in 1800. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French captured and burnt her in late 1807 or early 1808 as she was about to deliver the captives from her fifth 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.
Minerva was built in the Americas in 1791 and taken in prize from the Spanish. She made six voyages from London as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She is last listed in 1813 but with data stale since her last voyage transporting enslaved people in 1807.
Ariadne was built in 1795 at Newbury, Massachusetts, probably under another name. She in 1801 became a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made two voyages transporting enslaved people before a French, and later a Dutch privateer, captured her in 1804 while she was acquiring captives on her third voyage. However, a Liverpool-based vessel recaptured her. Then in 1806, a French privateer captured her and took her into Guadeloupe while Ariadne was on her fourth voyage transporting captives.
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.
Aurora was launched at Chester in 1793 as a West Indiaman. During her career first the French (twice) and then the United States' privateer captured her, but she returned to British hands. Between 1801 and 1808 she made four voyages from Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Afterwards, she continued to trade widely until 1831.
Aurora was launched at Philadelphia in 1779. She did not appear in British registers until 1800. She then made five voyages from London as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was damaged and condemned at Jamaica in 1807 after having landed the captives from her fifth voyage.
Angola was launched in 1799 at Lancaster. She became a Liverpool-based slave ship that had made four voyages in the triangular trade, carrying captives from West Africa to the West Indies. The French captured her in 1804 on her fifth voyage. Her captors renamed her Tigre, but the Royal Navy recaptured her late in 1804.
Roe was launched in France in 1792, almost certainly under another name. The British captured her and between 1801 and 1808 she became a Liverpool based slave ship, making four voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. 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.
Active was launched at Bermuda in 1789. She transferred to Liverpool circa 1798 and then spent a few years as a West Indiaman. Between 1802 and 1803 she made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. She was captured off West Africa around late 1804 on her second voyage before she could start acquiring slaves.
Frances was built in India or the East Indies circa 1795, possibly under another name, and entered British records in 1803. Between 1803 and 1807 she made three voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. After the end of British participation in the slave trade in 1807, Frances started trading with Spain and the West Indies. She was wrecked in January 1809.
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.
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.
Nicholson was launched at Liverpool in 1802 as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made four complete voyages transporting captives. Then when the Slave Trade Act 1807 ended British participation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade she started trading with Brazil. She was wrecked in 1810 returning to Liverpool from Pernambuco.