Career
Roebuck first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) under that name in 1799. [1]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|
| 1799 | M'Iiver | Boadman | London–Berbice | LR |
| 1800 | M'Iver | Bodman | London–Berbice | LR |
| 1801 | M'Iver
R.Vaughn | VanSpan
Swanzy | Cork–London
London–Africa | LR |
|
Roebuck made three voyages as a slave ship before this was reflected in LR.
1st slave voyage (1800–1801): Captain Daniel Neal acquired a letter of marque on 19 April 1800. Captain Neale sailed from London on 30 April 1800, bound for the Gold Coast. Roebuck acquired captives first at Cape Coast Castle and then at Wiamba. She arrived at Demerara on 3 December with 214 captives. [3] Roebuck, Neale, master, was sold there. [4] She arrived back at London on 14 April 1801. At some point her master had changed to Phillips, and then to Toole. [3]
2nd slave voyage (1801–1802): Captain Richard Vaughn sailed from London on 7 June 1801, bound for the Gold Coast. Roebuck arrived in Demerara on 15 December. She arrived back in London on 17 February 1802. [5]
3rd slave voyage (1802): Captain Vaughn sailed from London on 21 April 1802, bound for the Gold Coast. Roebuck began gathering captives in Africa on 24 June. [6] She arrived at Demerara on 15 October with 219 captives and with Barnett, master. She arrived back at London 29 December 1802. [6]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
|---|
| 1805 | Vaughn
Strannach | Swansea & Co.
Simpson & Co. | London–Africa | LR; small repairs 1802, & damages and small repairs 1805 |
|
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 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.
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.
Harriot was launched in Spain in 1794, almost surely under another name, and taken in prize in 1797. She made two voyages as a London-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Under new ownership, she then made three voyages as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. A privateer captured her as she was returning from her third whale-hunting voyage but the British Royal Navy recaptured her. After her recapture she became a merchantman. She was captured and condemned at Lima, Peru in March-April 1809 as a smuggler.
Thames was launched at Southampton in 1790. Until 1798 she sailed across the Atlantic, trading primarily with The Bahamas. She then became a slave ship, making seven slave trading voyages. After the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807, Thames returned to trading with the West Indies. A French privateer captured Thames on 17 July 1811 and burnt her.
Nimble was built in Folkestone in 1781, possibly under another name. In 1786 Nimble was almost rebuilt and lengthened. Between 1786 and 1798 she made nine voyages as a whaler in the British Southern Whale Fishery. Between 1799 and 1804 she made four voyages from Liverpool as a slave ship. On her first voyage as a slave ship she detained a neutral vessel, an action that resulted in a court case. On her second slave-trading voyage a French privateer captured her, but the Royal Navy recaptured her. She was sold in 1804 at St Thomas after she had delivered her slaves.
Martha was launched in 1788 in Liverpool. She made eleven voyages as a slave ship, carrying slaves from West Africa to the West Indies. On her fourth voyage, she and five other vessels bombarded Calabar for more than three hours to force the local native traders to lower the prices they were charging for slaves. After her last slave trading voyage in 1803, Martha became a West Indiaman. She was wrecked circa October 1806.
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, carrying slaves 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 slaves.
John was launched at Newnham in 1779, possibly under another name. Between 1786 and 1798 she traded as a West Indiaman. Then she made three voyages as a slave ship, being captured on her third as she was delivering slaves to the West Indies.
Dick was a French vessel built in Spain, almost certainly sailing under another name, that the British captured circa 1798. She made a voyage to the West Indies during which she repelled two attacks, and captured three prizes. She then became a slave ship that made three slave-trading voyages. Her first voyage was cut short when a French privateer captured her and the Royal Navy recaptured her. She then made two complete voyages. After her return in 1803 from her third voyage she became a West Indiaman. She grounded in 1804 after another vessel had run into her. She was last listed in 1809.
Atalanta was built in Bermuda in 1799. She sailed to London and then between 1800 and 1802 she made two complete voyages as a slave ship. New owners sailed her as a West Indiaman. She suffered a minor maritime incident in 1803. A French privateer captured her in 1804.
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.
Ranger was built in London in 1796. Between 1796 and 1801 she made three complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. New owners in 1801 had her lengthened and sailed her as a West Indiaman. She was lost in 1802.
Baron Montalembert was launched in France in 1784, probably under another name. She was taken in prize, and first appeared in Lloyd's List in 1795, sailing as a West Indiaman. Between 1799 and 1802 she made two voyages as slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was lost in 1802 during her second slave voyage, together with most of the slaves she was carrying.
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.
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.
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. Spanish privateers captured her in 1805 on her fifth slave voyage.
Laurel's origins are ambiguous. She first appeared in online British sources in 1802. She made three voyages from Liverpool to Africa. On the first she apparently was on a trading voyage. The second was a complete voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During this voyage she was involved in two sanguinary engagements with French vessels, the second of which resulted in the death of her master. She set out on a second slave trading voyage in 1805 but a French squadron captured her before she had embarked any slaves.
Great Britain