Otway was a French or Spanish vessel built in 1799 that became a Liverpool-based slave ship in 1800. She made four voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people, delivering captives from West Africa to the West Indies before the French Navy captured her in 1806. She became the Guadeloupe-based privateer Alerte (or Alert) and captured a number of British merchantmen before the Royal Navy captured her i October 1807.
Lloyd's Register gives inconsistent information on Otway's origins. Lloyd's Register lists her as of French origin, and launched in 1799. The Register of Shipping describes her as a Spanish prize, and gives her year as 1800. This was the year in which she was registered at Liverpool.[4]
Career
Captain John Herron acquired a letter of marque on 11 November 1800.[1] He sailed from Liverpool on 4 December 1800. He gathered captives at "West Central Africa and St. Helena", and 10 May 1801 delivered them to Kingston, Jamaica. Six crewmen, of 37, died on the voyage. Herron embarked 372 captives, and disembarked 336, for a mortality rate of 9.7%. Otway sailed from Kingston on 7 June, and arrived back at Liverpool on 5 July.[4]
Otway entered Lloyd's Register in the 1801 volume with J. Herron, master, changing to L. Mann, and owner Thompson. Her trade was Liverpool—Africa.[2]
Captain Luke Mann acquired a letter of marque on 19 August 1801.[1] He sailed for Africa from Liverpool on 27 August.[5]Lloyd's List reported on 4 September that Otway, Mann, master, was on shore at Bootle Bay, Liverpool, while on her way to Africa.[6] Mann acquired captives in the Bight of Biafra (Bight of Bonny) and Gulf of Guinea islands. Otway delivered her captives at Kingston on 21 March 1802. Three crew members of 41 died on the voyage. She disembarked 321 captives. Otway sailed from Jamaica on 29 April and arrived at Liverpool on 12 June.[5]
Captain Mann made a second voyage in 1802. Otway sailed from Liverpool on 11 October, and arrived at Kingston on 16 May 1803. She had one crew member die on the voyage. She disembarked 302 captives.[7] On 11 June the Royal Gazette advertised: "For Sale 302 Choice Young Ebo NEGROES imported in the ship Otway, Luke Mann, master."[8] Leigh Lyon replaced Mann as Otway's master. Otway left Jamaica on 21 July, and arrived back at Liverpool on 19 October.[7]
Lloyd's Register for 1804 showed Otway's master changing from L. Mann to D. Stewart, and her owner from Thompson to Kitchen & Co.[9] It is not clear what, if anything, Otway did in 1804. Captain Duncan Steward (or Stewart) acquired a letter of marque on 7 February 1805.[1]
Stewart sailed from Liverpool on 8 November 1804, bound from West Central Africa and St Helena. He acquired captives from the Congo River area and arrived at Kingston on 10 April 1805 with 332 captives. Three men of the 48-man crew died on the voyage. Otway sailed from Jamaica on 4 July, and arrived at Liverpool on 24 August.[10]
Captain Alexander Hackney acquired a letter of marque on 10 September 1805.[1] He sailed from Liverpool on 1 October 1805, bound for Africa.[11]
On 6 June 1806 Lloyd's List reported that Otway was "all well" off the "Logus Coast" of Africa.[13] Four days later Lloyd's List reported that the French had captured Otway.[14] The French captured Otway before she had embarked any captives.[11] The same squadron also captured Sarah, Lord Nelson, Mary, Adams, master, and Nelson, Meath, master.[14]
During the period 1793 to 1807, war, rather than maritime hazards or resistance by the captives, was the greatest cause of vessel losses among British vessels transporting enslaved people.[15]
The Register of Shipping for 1806 still carried Steward as Otway's master, but had the notation "captured" by her name.[16]Lloyd's Register had Stewart as master, but has no notation as to capture.
The French Navy may have considered taking Otway into service. Sources on the French Navy states that she was possibly commissioned as a corvette in the Navy, but if so it was brief. She was not on the Navy lists in 1807.[17][18]
French privateer
In early 1807 the French privateer Alert, of 20 guns captured Alexander, Pince, master, and Ann, Strahan, master, both of Liverpool, and took them into Guadeloupe. Alert also captured Harriet, Thompson, master, of Lancaster, but HMSMosambique recaptured Harriet.[19] In the engagement with Alerte at 26°15′N58°10′W / 26.250°N 58.167°W / 26.250; -58.167Alexander suffered four men killed and Captain Pince and four men wounded before Alexander struck. After she captured Alexander, Alerte captured Harriet. Alerte was the former Otway.[20]
On 14 March Alerte, Captain Moreau, "late the Ostroy, of Liverpool, Guineaman", of twenty-two 8-pounders and 150 men, captured Highlander, of Glasgow, from Demerara to Liverpool. Highlander arrived at Guadeloupe on the 30th. On the 16th Clio and Ajax, which had been in company with Highlander, were seen sailing to Guadeloupe in company with Alerte. Alerte accompanied them until she saw them safe at anchor and then set out to sea again. She next captured two British letters of marque, probably Jason and Maxwell, of Liverpool. Alerte took them into Guadeloupe too.[21][lower-alpha 1]
HMSBlonde captured "that dangerous Privateer the Alert, who has done so much Injury to the Trade". Alerte, of twenty 9&6-pounder guns, was off Suriname at 10°00′N57°30′W / 10.000°N 57.500°W / 10.000; -57.500 on 14 October 1807 when Blonde gave chase. After an all-day chase and a few well-directed shots, Alertstruck. She was last from Cayenne and had taken nothing.[23][lower-alpha 2]
Notes
↑ Lieutenant George Augustus Westphal was a passenger on Highlander, being invalided home from service on HMSDemerara. On the way he trained Highlander's crew in gunnery. When Alerte approached, he commanded Highlander's crew in her resistance to the privateer. Highlander was able to repel three attempts to board but had to strike after a fourth attempt succeeded. Highlander had suffered five men killed and seven wounded, including Westphal and her mate.[22]
↑ French sources simply describe Alerte as: "privateer, possibly from Bordeaux, commissioned April 1807 with 140 men and 20 guns".[24]
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.
Plover was launched at Liverpool in 1788. Her whereabouts between 1798 and 1802 are currently obscure. She became a Liverpool-based slave ship in 1802. She made three voyages in the triangular trade, carrying enslaved people from West Africa to the West indies. The French Navy captured her in 1806 as she was starting her fourth voyage to acquire captives. 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 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.
Allison was launched in France in 1776, almost certainly under another name. The British captured her in 1795. Between 1796 and 1799 she made two whaling voyages to the British southern whale fishery. Then between 1799 and 1807 she made three voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Between the first and the second a French privateer captured her, but British letters of marque recaptured her. The British slave trade was abolished in 1807 and thereafter Allison traded primarily as a coaster. After about 1840 she began to trade to America and Africa. She was lost c.1846.
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.
Caledonia was a Spanish vessel that the British captured in 1804 and that new owners renamed. She made two complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. In 1809 she disappeared from online records.
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.
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.
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.
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 in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She then sailed to Brazil and the West Indies and was last listed in 1809.
Alexander was launched in 1801 in the United States, possibly under another name. She became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people, sailing from Liverpool. A French privateer captured her after she had landed her captives at Berbice. Alexander returned to British ownership and became a West Indiaman, and then a transport. She was last listed in 1816 but may have been sold or broken up in 1815.
Agreeable was launched in 1786 in Liverpool, possibly under another name. Between 1798 and 1802 she made three voyages as a slave ship. A French privateer captured her in 1803 as she was sailing from Africa to the West Indies on her fourth slave trading voyage.
Backhouse was launched in 1798 at Dartmouth. In all, she made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Between the second and the third, and after the fourth, she was a West Indiaman. A French privateer captured her early in 1810 as she was returning to Britain from Brazil.
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.
Echo was launched in 1791 in Liverpool as a slave ship. She made two complete voyages from Liverpool in the Atlantic triangular slave trade. On her third voyage a French privateer captured her, but a British letter of marque recaptured her. She did not return to enslaving and was last listed in 1796.
Hector was launched at Bristol in 1781 as a West Indiaman. A new owner in 1802 sailed Hector as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made one complete voyage transporting enslaved people before a French privateer captured her on her second such voyage after Hector had disembarked her captives.
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.
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 voyage transporting enslaved people. Then French privateers captured her after she had embarked captives 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.
References
Demerliac, Alain (2003). La Marine du Consulat et du Premier Empire: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1800 A 1815 (in French). Éditions Ancre. ISBN2-903179-30-1.
Inikori, Joseph (1996). "Measuring the unmeasured hazards of the Atlantic slave trade: Documents relating to the British trade". Revue française d'histoire d'outre-mer. 83 (312): 53–92. doi:10.3406/outre.1996.3457.
Nugent, Maria (2010) Lady Nugent's Journal: Jamaica One Hundred Years Ago. (Cambridge University Press). ISBN9781108024419
Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1 1671 - 1870. p.138. ISBN978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC165892922.
Winfield, Rif; Roberts, Stephen S. (2015). French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786–1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-84832-204-2.
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