| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Elizabeth |
| Launched | 1798, Liverpool |
| Captured | 1805 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 285, [1] or 289, or 310 [2] (bm) |
| Complement | |
| Armament | |
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.
Nelly first appeared in Lloyd's Register in 1799. [1] Captain Seacom Ellison acquired a letter of marque on 20 March 1799. [2]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1799 | S.Ellison | Harper & Co | Liverpool–Martinique | LR |
| 1800 | S.Ellison C.Lawson | Harper & Co | Liverpool–Martinique | LR |
1st slave voyage (1800–1801): Captain Caesar Lawson acquired a letter of marque on 26 May 1800. [2] He sailed on 24 June. He acquired slaves at Bonny and arrived at Dominica on 24 November with 289. Nelly sailed from Dominica on 7 February 1801 and arrived back at Liverpool on 21 March. She had left Liverpool with 41 crew members and had suffered six crew deaths on her voyage. [3]
2nd slave voyage (1802–1803): Captain John Lawson sailed from Liverpool on 14 January 1802. When he sailed the Peace of Amiens was about to take effect and so he did not acquire a letter of marque. He acquired slaves at Badagry, stopped at São Tomé, and arrived at Demerara on 9 October with 283 slaves. Nelly sailed from Demerara on 3 December and arrived back at Liverpool on 12 February 1802. She had left Liverpool with 30 crew members and had suffered six crew deaths on her voyage. [4] [lower-alpha 1]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1804 | C.Dawson | Harper & Co. | Cork | LR |
| 1805 | C.Dawson J.Seldon | Harper & Co. Hinde & Co. | Cork Liverpool–Africa | LR |
3rd slave voyage (1805–loss): Captain James Seldon acquired a letter of marque on 14 March 1805. [2] He sailed on 28 April 1805 and gathered slaves at Ambriz. [6]
In December 1805, Lloyd's List reported that Elizabeth, Hensley, master, and Nelly, Selden, master, had been captured at Angola. [7] They were among the seven vessels off the Congo River that had fallen prey to a privateer. [lower-alpha 2] The privateer was described as being of 22 guns and 350 men. Nelly's captor sent her to the River Plate. [8]
A second report named the captors as L'Orient, of 14 guns, and Dromedario, of 22 guns. The captured vessels arrived in the River Plate before 12 November. [9] Nelly arrived at Montevideo with 19 enslaved people; she had only embarked 20 before the Spanish captured her. She had left Liverpool with 50 crew members and arrived at Montevideo with 51, although she had suffered 10 crew member deaths on her voyage.
Spanish records report that in June 1805, Viceroy Sobremonte, of Argentina, issued two letters of marque, one for Dolores (24 guns), Currand, master, and Berro y Errasquin, owner, and one for Dromedario (20 guns), Hippolito Mordel, master, and Canuerso y Masini, owner. The two sailed for the African coast, looking to capture enslaving ships. In three months of cruising Dolores captured three ships and one brig, carrying a total 600 enslaved people. Dromedario captured five ships, carrying a total of 500 enslaved people. [10]
In 1805, 30 British slave ships were lost. Thirteen were lost on the coast of Africa. [11] During the period 1793 to 1807, war, rather than maritime hazards or slave resistance, was the greatest cause of vessel losses among British slave vessels. [12]
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 Liverpool-based slave ship, making five voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was lost at Charleston in September 1804 in a hurricane.
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 at Liverpool in 1797. She then made six voyages as a Liverpool-based 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.
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 in the triangular trade in enslaved people. A French naval squadron captured her early in her third enslaving voyage.
Hannah was built in Liverpool in 1795. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade of enslaved people. She was lost in 1801 as she was returning home after having delivered her captives on her fourth voyage.
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.
Dispatch was built in Bermuda in 1784 and came to England possibly as early as 1786. In 1792 she made a voyage as a slave ship carrying slaves from Africa to the West Indies in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was then briefly a privateer before returning to the slave trade. The French captured her in 1795 while she was on her third slave trading voyage.
Bolton was launched at Liverpool in 1792. She then made 10 voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During her career she repelled one attack by a French privateer, was captured on a later voyage by another before being recaptured by the Royal Navy, and then was captured on her tenth voyage by yet another privateer after Bolton had gathered her captives but before she was able to deliver them to the West Indies. Bolton returned to British ownership, first sailing as West Indiaman, before embarking on an 11th enslaving voyage. She blew up on the African coast in 1806 after some of the captives aboard her succeeded in taking her over and setting fire to her.
Bellona was built in Spain in 1797 and was taken in prize circa late 1804. She made one voyage as a privateer, sailing from Liverpool to the River Plate area. On her return she made a voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was wrecked as she was coming back into Liverpool after having delivered her captives to Charleston.
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.
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 in the triangular trade carrying enslaved people 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 captives.
Ranger was launched in 1791 in New Providence and immediately came to Britain. She generally traded between Liverpool and New Providence. She underwent grounding in 1795 and in 1796 her owners had her repaired, lengthened, and converted from a brig to a ship. A French privateer captured her in August 1797 after a single-ship action. In a process that is currently obscure, Ranger returned to British ownership circa 1799. She then became a West Indiaman. From 1803 on she became a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made one complete slave trading voyage. Then French privateers captured her after she had embarked slaves in West Africa but before she could deliver them to the West Indies. A United States citizen purchased her at Guadeloupe and renamed her Delaware. In 1805 the Royal Navy recaptured her. She was returned to her British owners who sailed her between Ireland and Newfoundland. She was last listed in 1814.
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.
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.
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.
Clarendon was launched in France in 1788, under another name. She was taken in prize in 1804. In 1805, Clarendon began a voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people but fell prey to Spanish privateers after she had embarked slaves.
Rebecca was launched at Charleston in 1802, possibly under another name. She first appeared in online British sources in 1805. In 1805, Rebecca began a voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people but fell prey to Spanish privateers after she had embarked captives.
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.