| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Princess Royal |
| Owner |
|
| Builder | Liverpool |
| Launched | 1790 |
| Fate | Captured December 1794 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 405 [1] [2] (bm) |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Complement | 70 [2] |
| Armament | 20 × 9-pounder guns [2] |
Princess Royal was launched at Liverpool in 1790. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French captured her in 1794 at the beginning of her fifth enslaving voyage.
Princess Royal first appears in Lloyd's Register with William Forbes, master, John Dawson, owner, and trade Liverpool–Africa. [3]
On all four slave trading voyages that Princess Royal completed, she gathered her captives in the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands. In 1791 she delivered them to Cuba. On the other voyages she took them to Jamaica. [4]
1st enslaving voyage (1790): Dawson sailed from Liverpool on 29 April 1790. He gathered his captives at Bonny Island and delivered them to Kingston, Jamaica on 6 November with 528 captives. Also, four of his 46 crew members died on the voyage. Princess Royal sailed from Kingston on 22 December and arrived back at Liverpool on 14 February 1791. [4]
2nd enslaving voyage (1791–1792): Robert Catterall replaced Forbes for the second slaving voyage. He sailed from Liverpool on 8 March 1791 and started slave trading on 6 June. Apparently he first gathered captives at "Barabalemo", and then at Bonny. Princess Royal sailed from Africa on 21 October and arrived at Havana on 30 December with 444 captives. She left Havana on 27 January 1792 and arrived back at Liverpool on 19 March. Princess Royal had left Liverpool with 39 crew members and four crew members died on the voyage. [5]
3rd enslaving voyage (1792–1793): John Bunnell replaced Catterall, but John Carson in turn replaced Bunnell. Carson sailed from Liverpool on 26 April 1792 and arrived at Kingston, Jamaica, on 1 December with 459 captives. Two of her 39 crew members died on the voyage. She left Jamaica on 14 January 1793 and arrived back at Liverpool on 2 March. Two of her 39 crew members died on the full voyage. [6]
4th enslaving voyage (1793–1794): Captain James Brown replaced Carson, and on 16 July 1793 acquired a letter of marque. [2] He sailed from Liverpool on 5 August 1793 and gathered captives at Bonny. Princess Royal left Africa on 14 November, and arrived at Jamaica on 28 January 1794. She had embarked 549 captives and landed 539, for a loss rate of 1.8%. She left Jamaica on 1 April and arrived back at Liverpool on 21 May. She had left Liverpool with 64 crew members and she suffered eight crew member deaths on the voyage. [7]
After the passage of Dolben's Act in 1788, masters received a bonus of £100 for a mortality rate of under 2%; the ship's surgeon received £50. For a mortality rate between two and three percent, the bonus was halved. There was no bonus if mortality exceeded 3%. [8] [lower-alpha 1]
5th enslaving voyage (1794–loss): Brown sailed from Liverpool on 29 July 1794. [10]
Lloyd's List reported on 12 May 1795 that a French squadron had captured Princess Royal, Brown, master, of Liverpool, in the Bonny River. The capture occurred between 22 and 29 December 1794. The French also captured the slavers Eliza and Vulture during the same period. [11] Lloyd's List reported on 27 October that Princess Royal, Brown, master, was among a number of vessels that a French squadron had captured and taken into Cadiz. [12] Princess Royal had not embarked any slaves before the French captured her. [10]
In 1794, 25 British slave ships were lost; three were lost on the coast of Africa. [13] 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 slave vessels. [14]
Banastre, was built at Ringsend, Dublin, in 1759, though under what name is unclear. By 1787 she was in the hands of the Tarletons and Daniel Backhouse of Liverpool. She made five complete voyages as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade, transporting enslaved people from West Africa to the Caribbean. On her first voyage an incident in which one enslaver fired on her led to a landmark court case. A French warship captured her in 1793 as she was on her way from West Africa to Jamaica on her sixth voyage transporting captives.
Experiment was launched on the River Thames in 1789. She made seven voyages for Calvert & Co. as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people, carrying captives from the Gold Coast to Jamaica. A French squadron captured her in 1795.
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 between 1800 and 1804 as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Her subsequent history is currently obscure.
Iris was launched at Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. In all she made eight voyages (1783-1800) transporting captives 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.
Hercules was launched at the Province of Georgia in 1777. She appeared in Lloyd's Register in 1782 as a West Indiaman. From 1786 she made three voyages from London as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was lost in 1792 as she was returning to England after having delivered captives at Jamaica.
Old Dick was launched at Bermuda in 1789. She sailed to England and was lengthened in 1792. From 1792 on she made two full voyages as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On her second she recaptured two British merchant ships. She was lost in 1796 at Jamaica after having landed her third cargo of captives.
Vulture was built in France 1777 and captured. By early 1779 she was sailing as a privateer out of Liverpool. She then became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made 10 voyages transporting enslaved people and was captured in 1795 on her 11th such voyage.
Duke of Buccleugh, was launched at Yarmouth in 1783. In 1789 she became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made five complete enslaving voyages. On her fifth she had to repel an attack by a French privateer in a single ship action. A French privateer captured her in September 1797 after she had delivered her captives on her sixth voyage.
Prince was launched at Bristol in 1785 as Alexander and then made two complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Her owners changed her name to Prince in 1787. As Prince, she made six more complete voyages as an enslaving ship. She sailed on enslaving voyages for owners in Bristol, Liverpool, and London. She foundered in 1800 as she was returning to England from her ninth, having delivered captives to Jamaica.
Tamerlane was launched in 1769 in Bermuda. She first appeared in British records in 1788 and then carried out three voyages as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. Next, she made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. French frigates captured and burnt her in 1794.
Betsey was launched in 1790 at Liverpool as a slave ship. She made six complete voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On her second such voyage she, together with five other slave ships, bombarded Calabar for more than three hours to force the local native traders to lower the prices they were charging for captives. A French privateer captured her in 1799 after she had delivered her captives on her seventh voyage.
Thomas was the ship Sally that James Jones acquired in 1785. Thomas made seven voyages from Bristol as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. On her fourth such voyage,Thomas and five other enslaving ships, bombarded Calabar for more than three hours to force the local native traders to lower the prices they were charging for captives. The French captured her in 1794 as she was on her way for her eighth voyage.
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.
Liverpool Hero was built in France in 1777, probably as Jeune Emilia. She was taken in prize in 1780. In 1781 she entered into the triangular trade in enslaved people. From 1781 she made six complete voyages from Liverpool as a slave ship. On her fourth enslaving voyage she suffered an exceptionally high mortality rate among the captives she had embarked. Her third voyage had been marred by high mortality, but on the fourth 330 captives, 59% of the number she had embarked, died. She was lost in 1794 off the coast of Africa on her seventh voyage, probably with her crew and captives.
Bell was launched in 1788 in Liverpool. Between 1788 and 1795 she made five voyages as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French captured her in 1798 on her sixth voyage transporting enslaved people after she had embarked her captives. In 1798, the Royal Navy destroyed her.
Ranger was launched in Liverpool in 1789. She made four complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. A French privateer captured her in 1796 in a single ship action during her fifth voyage transporting enslaved people. She was recaptured, but thereafter disappears from online records.
Doe was built in 1780, in the Thirteen Colonies, possibly under another name. She was taken in prize. Between 1783 and 1786 Doe made three complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. New owners in 1787 renamed Doe to Ellen. Ellen was registered in Liverpool in 1787. Between 1789 and 1792, she made two complete voyages transporting enslaved people. A French privateer captured her in 1793 as she was on her way to the West Indies having embarked captives in Africa on her sixth voyage transporting enslaved people.
Golden Age was launched at Havana in 1779, almost certainly under another name. She was taken in prize circa 1783. From late 1783 she sailed from Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made four complete voyages. On her third her captives rebelled, but were unsuccessful. A French private frigate captured her in 1793 after she had disembarked her captives from her fifth enslaving voyage. Her captors took her into Philadelphia where she was sold to a French owner who named her Republican, and sailed her to France.
Bud was launched at Liverpool in 1783. Between 1783 and 1800 she made 12 complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. In 1796 she repelled an attack by a faster, better armed, and more heavily crewed French privateer in a single ship action. Then in 1798, a French privateer captured her in another single ship action after Bud's short but sanguinary resistance. The Royal Navy quickly captured her, and her captor. On her 13th enslaving voyage she was condemned at Kingston, Jamaica after she had arrived with her captives.
Brothers was launched in the Thirteen Colonies in 1772, probably under another name. From 1785 she became a Bristol-based slave ship. She made six complete voyages in the triangular trade, in all embarking 1880 enslaved people. The French captured her in December 1794 as she was on the first leg of her seventh such voyage and before she had embarked any captives. The main source for this article provided detail on crew turnover and death rates for her first three voyages. The first voyage had a particularly heavy mortality rate among the crew. The main source also provided data for her fourth, fifth, and sixth voyages for mortality rates on the Middle Passage among the enslaved people that she was carrying.