Career
Princess Royal first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1802. [2]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|
| 1802 | J.Harrison
J.Scott | Green & Co.
W.Begg | Liverpool–Lisbon
Liverpool–Africa | LR |
| 1803 | J.Harrison
J.Scott | W.Begg | Liverpool–Africa | LR |
|
1st slave trading voyage (1803–1804): Captain Joseph Scott acquired a letter of marque on 13 August 1803. [1] He sailed from Liverpool on 14 September, bound for West Africa. Princess Royal arrived at Havana on 13 July 1804 with 147 slaves. She sailed for Liverpool on 10 August and arrived there on 8 October. She had sailed with 36 crew members and suffered no crew deaths on the voyage. At some point on the voyage after her arrival at Barbados her master had changed to John Pagen. [3]
2nd slave trading voyage (1805–1806): Captain William Brinton acquired a letter of marque on5 January 1805. [1] He sailed from Liverpool on 29 January 1805, bound for West Africa. Princess Royal arrived at Suriname on 19 July with 158 slaves. She sailed from Suriname on 31 October and arrived back at Liverpool 10 February 1806. She had left Liverpool with 34 crew members and suffered eight deaths on her voyage. [4] She arrived with coffee, sugar, and cotton.
3rd slave trading voyage (1806–1807): Captain Brinton sailed from Liverpool on 23 May 1806, bound for the Congo River. Princess Royal arrived at Demerara on 24 October with 226 slaves. She left on 11 February 1807 and arrived back at Liverpool on 29 April 1807. She had left Liverpool with 28 crew members and she suffered no crew deaths on her voyage. [5] She arrived with coffee, sugar, cotton, rum, and Madeira wine.
4th slave trading voyage (1806–1807): Captain Brinton sailed from Liverpool on 7 July 1807. The Act for the abolition of the slave trade had passed Parliament in March 1807 and took effect on 1 May 1807. However, Princess Royal must have received clearance to sail before the deadline. Thus, when she sailed from Liverpool on 7 July, she did so legally. On her way a gale off Cork caused her foretop mast to be sprung; she had to put back to Liverpool for repairs, arriving there on 20 July. [6] Princess Royal gathered her slaves at Ambona, on the Angolan coast. She arrived at Berbice on 19 February 1808, and arrived back at Liverpool on 16 June. At some point on the voyage Captain Laughton replaced Briton as master. [7]
The Register of Shipping for 1809 showed Princess Royal having undergone small repairs in 1808, presumably while beig converted back to regular trade from the slave trade.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|
| 1809 | W.Brinton | W.Begg | Liverpool–Coruna | LR |
| 1811 | W.Brinton
Boswell | W.Begg | Liverpool–Coruna | LR |
| 1812 | Boswell | J.Mills | Liverpool–New York | LR |
|
Between the 1811 and 1812 issues of LR, Princess Royal underwent a change of owner, master, and trade, and her description changed from schooner to brig.
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, after the end of British participation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, 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.
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.
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 captured her, but she returned to British hands. Between 1801 and 1808 she made four voyages as a slave ship. She continued to trade widely until 1831.
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.
Roe was launched in France in 1792, almost certainly under another name. The British captured her and between 1801 and 1808 she became a slave ship, making four voyages out of Liverpool. After the end of the British slave trade Roe traded with Brazil. The Americans captured her in 1812 but she was quickly recaptured. She was wrecked in November 1814.
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.
Backhouse was launched in 1798 at Dartmouth. In all, she made four voyages as a slave ship. 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.
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.
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, that was lost in 1810.
Union was launched at Liverpool in 1805. She made three voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She transported at least 743 captives to the West Indies and South Carolina. After the end of British participation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade she then became a West Indiaman. Union was last listed in the mid-1820s.
Nicholson was launched at Liverpool in 1802 as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made four complete voyages as a slave ship. Then when the Slave Trade Act 1807 ended British participation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade she started trading with Brazil. She was wrecked in 1810 returning to Liverpool from Pernambuco.
Lottery was launched at Liverpool in 1796. Between 1796 and 1807 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, Lottery became a West Indiaman. She was wrecked on 30 January 1810 outbound from Liverpool.
Aeolus was built in Liverpool. Between 1787 and 1806 she made 13 voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On one voyage she repelled an attack by a French privateer in a single ship action. She was last listed in 1808.
United Kingdom