| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Minerva |
| Builder | Americas [1] |
| Launched | 1791 |
| Acquired | 1799 by purchase of a prize |
| Fate | Last listed 1813 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 227, [2] or 228, [1] or 248 [3] (bm) |
| Armament | 10 × 6-pounder guns [1] |
Minerva was built in the Americas in 1791 and taken in prize from the Spanish. She made six voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She is last listed in 1813 but with data stale since her last slave voyage in 1807.
Minerva first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1799 with Cowley, master, Calvert & Co., owners, and trade London–Africa. [1] She was almost rebuilt in 1799 as well.
1st slave voyage (1799–1801): Captain Richard Coley sailed from London on 28 July 1799. Minerva acquired her slaves at Cape Coast Castle and arrived at Demerara on 12 August 1800. There she landed 359 slaves. She arrived back at London on 18 January 1801. [2] On 6 January Lloyd's List reported that Minerva, Cooley, master, had parted from her anchors at pithead and put into Portsmouth. She was on her way from Berbice to London. [4]
2nd slave voyage (1801–1802): Captain Coley sailed from London on 4 August 1801. Minerva started acquiring slaves 18 November. She acquired her slaves at Cape Coast Castle and arrived with them at Havana on 1 May 1802. She landed 248 slaves. She returned to London on 22 August. [5]
3rd slave voyage (1802–1804): Captain Coley sailed from London on 23 November 1802. He started acquiring slaves on 29 January 1803, stopping at Elmina, Cape Coast Castle, and Accra. [6] On 13 May 1803 Lloyd's List (LL) reported that Minerva, Coley, master, had arrived at Africa. The same report mentioned that Minerva, Silcock, master, had also arrived there. [7] Minerva, arrived at Demerara on 3 December 1803 and landed 220 slaves. [6] She left Demerara on 8 February 1804 with M'Iver, master, [8] and arrived at London on 30 April. [6]
Lloyd's Register for 1804 showed Minerva with H.Coley, master, changing to J.M'Iver, T. King, owner, and trade London–Africa. It also showed her burthen as 248 tons. [3]
4th slave voyage (1804–1805): Captain George Adams sailed from London on 2 September 1804. Minerva started acquiring slaves on the Gold Coast on 16 November. She arrived at Cumingsberg (British Guiana), on 7 March 1805. There she landed 256 slaves. She left on 1 April and arrived back at London on 10 June. [9]
5th slave voyage (1805–1806): Captain James Boswell left London on 5 July 1805. Minerva acquired her slaves at Accra and landed 116 slaves at Demerara on 6 May 1806. She arrived back at London on 30 September. [10]
6th slave voyage (1807): Captain Boswell sailed from London on 9 February 1807. He acquired Minerva's slaves at Cape Coast Castle and Accra, and arrived at Kingston, Jamaica, on 1 August. There she landed 253 slaves. [11]
The Slave Trade Act 1807 banned the slave trade within the British Empire. Because Minerva had left 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, but with a clearance dated before the deadline.)
There is no record in Lloyd's List's ship arrival and departure data of Minerva's return to England. She was lasted in LR and RS until 1813, but with stale data.
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.
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.
Ceres was launched in France in 1784. The British captured her circa 1800 and sold her as a prize. Once under British ownership she sailed to the Mediterranean, but in 1801 she started sailing in the slave trade. She made four voyages as a slave ship, gathering slaves in West Africa and delivering them to the West Indies. After the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807 she became a West Indiaman, and then an East Indiaman. She was last listed in 1822.
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. She was last listed in 1816.
Minerva was launched in 1791 at Galway. She then traded widely, particularly as a West Indiaman. Between 1800 and 1804 she made two voyages from Bristol as a Guineaman. That is, she was a slave ship, carrying enslaved peoples in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. She then returned to trading with the West Indies. A United States privateer captured her in 1814.
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 Philadelphia in 1779. She did not appear in British registers until 1800. She then made five voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was damaged and condemned at Jamaica in 1807 after having landed her slaves from her fifth voyage.
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.
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.
Harriot was launched at Broadstairs in 1803. She made four voyages as a Guineaman between 1804 and 1807. Following the prohibition in 1807 on British vessels participating in the trans-Atlantic slave trade Harriet became a West Indiaman. A French privateer captured Harriet as Harriet was returning to England from Port au Prince in April 1809.
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.
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.
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.
Columbus was launched at Southampton in 1793. At first she was a West Indiaman. Then from 1799 on she made six complete voyages as a slave ship, and was condemned at Barbados in 1807 after she had delivered her slaves on her seventh voyage.
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, lost in 1810.
Concord was launched at Gravesend in 1784 and initially traded between England and Ireland and then with the West Indies. Between 1786 and 1806 she made 11 voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After her last slave trading voyage, new owners started sailing Concord between the United Kingdom and Newfoundland. She foundered in 1807 while sailing from Portugal to Newfoundland.