History | |
---|---|
Great Britain | |
Name | Roehampton |
Namesake | Roehampton |
Launched | 1792, America [1] |
Fate | Foundered 1806 - no trace |
General characteristics | |
Tons burthen | 104, [2] or 106 [1] (bm) |
Sail plan | Brig |
Complement | 25 [2] |
Armament |
|
Roehampton was a ship built in the United States in 1792, possibly in Baltimore, and almost certainly under another name. Between 1798 and 1803 she traded between England and North America. From 1803 she made two complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She disappeared on her way home on her third.
Roehampton first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1798. [1]
Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
1798 | A.Sinclair | A.Mann | London–Baltimore | LR; small repair 1793 |
1800 | A.Sinclair W.Hill | A.Mann P.Pinsent | Cork–London London–Newfoundland | LR; small repair 1793, repairs 1799, & good repair 1802 |
1802 | W.Hill Codner | Pinsent | London–Newfoundland Dartmouth–Newfoundland | LR; small repair 1793, repairs 1799, & good repair 1802 |
1803 | Codner Thompson | LeCoq & Co.f | Dartmouth–Newfoundland Liverpool–Africa | LR; small repair 1793, repairs 1799, & good repair 1802 |
1st enslaving voyage (1803–1805): Captain William Thompson sailed from Liverpool on 9 December 1802. Roehampton arrived at Suriname with her captives on 16 July 1803. She arrived back at Liverpool on 17 September. She had left Liverpool with 13 crew members and she suffered no crew deaths on her voyage. [3]
2nd enslaving voyage (1803–1805): Captain William Thompson sailed from Liverpool on 16 November 1803. Roehampton acquired her captives at Gabon; while she was there her boats were fired on from the shore. She arrived at Suriname on 3 September 1804 with 130 captives. She sailed from Suriname on 1 October and arrived back at Liverpool on 7 January. She had left Liverpool with 22 crew members and she suffered seven crew deaths on the voyage. [4]
She returned to Liverpool with 525 bags of coffee, 700 billets of barwood, and 112 elephant teeth (ivory tusks). [5]
3rd slave voyage (1805–loss): Captain Edward Newby acquired a letter of marque on 8 February 1805. He sailed from Liverpool on 1 March and arrived at St Thomas in December. [6]
Roehampton, Atkinson, master, sailed from St Thomas on 9 February 1806 in company with Neptune, Wilson, master. The two vessels parted company on 15 March in a heavy gale. Neptune arrived at Lancaster. [7] Roehampton apparently did not return. Roehampton did not appear again in Lloyd's List or other newspapers that published ship arrival and departure data.
In 1806, 33 British slave ships were lost. The source for this information does not record any having been lost on their way home. [8] 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. [9]
Will was a ship launched at Liverpool in 1797 for Aspinal & Co., who were one of Liverpool's leading slave-trading companies. She made numerous voyages between West Africa and the Caribbean in the triangular trade in enslaved people, during which she several times successfully repelled attacks by French privateers. Will apparently foundered in a squall in July 1806, shortly before the passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807 abolished the slave trade for British subjects.
Lord Nelson was launched in 1798 at Liverpool and subsequently made five voyages carrying slaves from West Africa to the West Indies in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On her first voyage she helped suppress a revolt on another slave ship by that vessel's captives. This gave rise to an interesting case in salvage money. A French naval squadron captured her off Sierra Leone on her sixth voyage, before she had embarked any captives.
Numerous vessels have born the name George, including:
Adventure was launched at Liverpool in 1802. She made three voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. A French privateer captured her in 1806 on her fourth voyage.
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.
Sarah was launched at Liverpool in 1797. She then made six voyages as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade carrying enslaved people from West Africa to the West Indies. A French privateer captured Sarah in 1804 in a single-ship action on her seventh voyage after Sarah had gathered her slaves but before she could deliver them to the West Indies.
Sarah was launched in Spain in 1791, presumably under another name. The British captured her c.1798. She made five voyages as a Liverpool-based slave ship before a Spanish privateer captured her in 1805. On her fifth voyage Sarah had captured two French slave ships at Loango.
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.
Bolton was launched at Liverpool in 1792. She then made 10 voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During her career she repelled one attack by a French privateer, was captured on a later voyage by another before being recaptured by the Royal Navy, and then was captured on her tenth voyage by yet another privateer after Bolton had gathered her captives but before she was able to deliver them to the West Indies. Bolton returned to British ownership, first sailing as West Indiaman, before embarking on an 11th enslaving voyage. She blew up on the African coast in 1806 after some of the captives aboard her succeeded in taking her over and setting fire to her.
Several ships have been named John:
Resource was launched at Bermuda in 1792, possibly under another name, and sailed from Liverpool from 1798 on. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French Navy captured her in 1805 at the very beginning of her fifth voyage. However, the British recaptured her when her captors sent her into the Cape of Good Hope, not realising that the Royal Navy was capturing the Cape.
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.
Active was built in Chester in 1781. Initially, she traded with the Baltic and North America. From 1798 she made four complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. A privateer captured her on 1 September 1805 during her fifth slave voyage, after she had embarked her slaves, and took her into the River Plate.
Princess Amelia was launched in 1798 at Liverpool. She made eight complete voyages as a Liverpool-based 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.
Louisa was launched in France in 1794, probably under another name. She was taken in prize and between 1798 and 1804 she made five complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Her fourth voyage gave rise to an influential, and exaggerated, estimate of the profitability of trading in enslaved people. She was lost in 1804 on the coast of Africa on her sixth voyage.
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.
Rebecca was launched at Charleston in 1802, possibly under another name. She first appeared in online British sources in 1805. In 1805, Rebecca began a voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people but fell prey to Spanish privateers after she had embarked captives.
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. A report of her fourth voyage provides insight into the decision making over the planning of the voyage. Spanish privateers captured her in 1805 on her fifth slave voyage.
Lucy was a Spanish vessel built in 1789, probably under another name. She came into British ownership in 1799. As Lucy, she proceeded to make three complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On the second of these she rather unusually assisted the British commander at Gorée in an operation to destroy a Spanish vessel at Senegal before the French could arm it as a privateer. However, a few days later a slave revolt resulted in the death of Lucy's captain. The French captured Lucy in 1806 on her fourth enslaving voyage as she was approaching the West Indies after she had embarked her captives. The capture involved a single ship action that left most of Lucy's crew dead or wounded. Her captors took Lucy into Guadeloupe, together with her captives.