Career
Othello entered Lloyd's Register in 1787 with McGauley, master, Parke & Co. owner, and trade Liverpool-Africa. [3]
Captain James McGauley sailed Othello from Liverpool on 20 December 1786, bound for the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands. [5] At the coast of Cameroon he delivered trade goods to the natives, but payment, in the form of slaves, was slow in coming.
When the slave ship Banastre, Thomas Smith, master, arrived at Calabar, Captain Patrick Fairweather, of Tarleton, another vessel under the ownership of the Tarleton-Backhouse partnership, and a senior captain for them, sent Banastre to the coast of Cameroon. When she arrived there some natives in a canoe approached to trade with her, but were warned off by a shot from Othello that killed one of the natives. McGauley had ordered the shot fired because the natives on that coast owed him a debt and he had declared that he would permit no trade until they had paid him. In 1793 the case of Tarleton and others vs. McGauley came to trial with the plaintiffs suing McGauley for loss of trade. [lower-alpha 2] The court found for the plaintiffs, establishing that it is a tort "to cause damage to a person by maliciously using any unlawful means, (e.g. fraud, or threats of assault), to induce anyone to abstain from entering into a contract with him."
McGauley eventually gathered slaves, and then delivered them to Dominica. He arrived on 2 December 1788 with 150 slaves, having embarked 185, for a mortality rate of 19%. [lower-alpha 3] She left Dominica on 1 February 1789, and arrived back at Liverpool on 16 March. Othello had a crew of 36 when she started out on the voyage and she lost 21 crew members during the voyage. [5]
In 1790 Othello underwent lengthening and repairs. [8] Her burthen increased from 122 to 208 tons. Captain John Powell sailed Othello on 16 March 1790 for the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands. He gathered his slaves at Cameroon, which he left on 20 October, and delivered his slaves to Grenada on 26 November. Othello had embarked 302 slaves and landed 277, for a loss rate of 8.3%. She left Grenada on 30 December and arrived back at Liverpool on 18 February 1791. She had also sailed with a crew of 26, and lost eight crew members on the voyage. [5]
On 8 April 1791 Powell again sailed Othello to the same region. This time he gathered his slaves at Calabar. Othello left Africa on 6 November and delivered her slaves to Jamaica in December. She had embarked 273 slaves for a loss rate of 8.4%. She had also started with a crew of 24, two of whom died on the journey. During the voyage Captain William Hewitt replaced Powell. Othello arrived back at Liverpool on 16 March 1792. [5]
Captain William Hewitt may have been the intended captain in 1793 for another voyage for the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands. However, Captain Thomas Jolly replaced Powell. The French Revolutionary Wars had just begun when Jolly received a letter of marque on 28 February. [4]
Jolly sailed on 5 May 1792 and arrived at Calabar on 1 July. Othello left Africa on 17 March 1793, and arrived at Montego Bay on 20 May. She had embarked 316 slaves and landed 283, for a loss rate of 10.4%. She left Jamaica on 26 July and arrived back at Liverpool 25 September. She had started with a crew of 24 men and lost 9 on the voyage. [5]
Captain David Christian received a letter of marque on 21 December 1793. [4] He sailed Othello for West Central Africa and St. Helena on 14 January 1794. [5]
On her way to deliver her slaves to Jamaica, on 4 November 1794 she recaptured Minerva. Minerva, Hayes, master, had been sailing from Cork to Saint Domingo when she was captured on 20 October. Othello sent Minerva into Antigua. [9] Christian's letter of marque made the action legal.
Othello again delivered her slaves to Jamaica, where she arrived in July. She had embarked 342 slaves and had not lost any. Othello left Kingston on 13 October and arrived at Liverpool on 13 December. She had sailed with 31 crew and had eight men die. [5]
On 22 June 1795 Christian again sailed Othello for the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands. [5]
{[short description|British slave ship 1797–1806}}
Tarleton was built in France under another name in 1778. The partnership of the Tarletons and Backhouse purchased her in 1779. She first traded between Liverpool and Jamaica, and then became a slaver. She was lost in November 1788.
Banastre, was built at Ringsend, Dublin, in 1759, though under what name is unclear. By 1787 she was in the hands of the partnership of the Tarletons and Backhouse of Liverpool, noted slavers. Under their ownership she made five complete voyages transporting slaves from West Africa to the Caribbean. A French warship captured her in 1793 as she was on her way from West Africa to Jamaica on her sixth voyage transporting slaves.
Christopher was built in America and taken in prize in 1780. She first appears in British records in 1786. Liverpool merchants purchased her before then, probably in 1785. Thereafter she made eight voyages in the African slave trade before she sank in 1794 in the harbour at Saint Croix.
Lady Penrhyn was an American vessel launched in 1777 that the British captured in 1782. Liverpool merchants purchased her and employed her in the African slave trade between 1783 and 1794. A squadron of the French navy drove her onshore on the coast of Africa in 1794.
Princess Royal was launched at Liverpool in 1790. She made four voyages as a slaver before the French captured her in 1794 at the beginning of her fifth slaving voyage.
Tarleton was launched in 1796 at Liverpool for Tarleton & Co., a Liverpool firm that had been in the slave trade for three generations. She made two full voyages as a slaver before she was wrecked on a third voyage in late 1798. On her first voyage she repelled attacks by two French privateers in single-ship actions.
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.
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.
Amazon was launched in France in 1775 under another name and taken in prize in 1780. British owners named her Amazon and she became a West Indiaman. In 1782 an American letter-of-marque, a former British Royal Navy frigate, captured her, but the Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She then became Dumfries. She may have been renamed again. She reappeared as Amazon in 1790, and traded between London and Smyrna. In 1798 she made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1797 and 1798. She then made three voyages as a slave ship between 1800 and 1804. Her subsequent history is currently obscure.
Parr was launched in 1797 at Liverpool as a slave ship. She was lost on her first voyage.
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.
Iris was launched at Liverpool as a slaver. In all she made eight voyages (1783-1800) carrying slaves from West Africa to the Caribbean. She also made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) to Bengal and back (1795-1796). She was condemned in Jamaica in December 1800 as unseaworthy.
Eliza was launched in America in 1780 and taken in prize in 1782. She entered the Liverpool registry in 1783, 1786, and again in 1792. She made nine voyages as a slave ship, and was lost in an explosion on her tenth voyage after she had already embarked her slaves.
Lord Nelson was launched in Spain in 1792 under another name. She came into British hands as a prize in 1800. She was initially a merchantman but then made two voyages as a slave ship carrying slaves from West Africa to the West Indies. In 1804 she had an inconclusive single-ship action with a French privateer. A French privateer finally captured her in May 1806 on her third slave trading voyage before she had disembarked her 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.
Hannah was built at Liverpool in 1786. She made six complete voyages as a slave ship. French frigates captured her in 1794 as she was sailing to West Africa outward bound on her seventh slave trading voyage.
Betsey was launched in 1790 at Liverpool as a slave ship. She made six complete voyages as a slaver. A French privateer captured her in 1799 after she had delivered her slaves on her seventh voyage.
Bell was launched in 1788 in Liverpool. Between 1788 and 1795 she made five voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French captured her in 1796 on her sixth slave voyage after she had embarked her slaves.
Molly was launched at Liverpool in 1778 as a slave ship. Between 1778 and 1807 she made 18 complete voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. During this period she also suffered one major maritime incident and captured two ships. After the end of Britain's involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Molly became a merchantman trading with the West Indies, Africa, Brazil, Nova Scotia, and Africa again. She was last listed in 1832, giving her a 54-year career.
Great Britain
