Career
Thetis first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR), in August 1801. [2]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
|---|
| 1801 | J.Charnley | Houseman | Lancaster–Dominica | LR; |
|
Captain John Charnley acquired a letter of marque on 17 July 1801.
After war with France resumed in 1803, Captain John Charnley acquired another letter of marque on 26 September 1803.
On 12 December 1803 Thetis, Charnley, master, sailed from Madeira for the West Indies. It was reported that the French privateer Egyptienne had captured her and taken her into the Canaries. [3] The report was apparently in error as Thetis, Charnley, master, was subsequently reported to have arrived at Barbados from Cork and Madeira.
In late 1804 Thetis arrived at Barbados after having repelled the attack of a French privateer of 20 guns. [4]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
|---|
| 1806 | J.Charnley
J.Christie | Houseman
Hind & Co. | Bristol–Dominica
Liverpool–Africa | LR; |
|
1st enslaving voyage (1806–1807): Captain David Christie sailed from Liverpool on 8 May 1806. [5] On 19 June she was reported "all well" off Cape Montserrado and in company with five other enslaving ships. She gathered her captives at Bonny, and sailed from there on 11 August. She sailed from São Tomé arrived at Dominica on 1 October. She arrived on 24 October at Kingston, Jamaica with 287 captives. [5] She sailed from Kingston on 9 January 1807 and arrived back at Liverpool on 8 April. She had left Liverpool with 38 crew members and she suffered six crew deaths on her voyage. [5]
2nd enslaving voyage (1807–1808): Captain Christie sailed from Liverpool on 1 June 1807. [6] The Act for the abolition of the slave trade had passed Parliament in March 1807 and took effect on 1 May 1807. However, Thetis had apparently received clearance to sail before the deadline. Thus, when she sailed on 1 June, she did so legally. [lower-alpha 1] Thetis acquired her captives at Cabinda and arrived at Barbados on 19 February 1808 with 292 captives. [6]
On her way to Barbados, Thetis fell in with the French privateer Revanche, of 14 guns and 180 men, at 12°N52°W / 12°N 52°W / 12; -52 . Christie maneuvered his signals in such a way that Revanche, sailed off, believing that Thetis was a sloop of war, but not before Thetis had fired two damaging broadsides into her. Christie believed that Revanche had sailed to Cayenne. [7]
Thetis arrived at Barbados before the arrival deadline of 30 March 1809. (Kitty's Amelia had arrived at Kingston, Jamaica on 25 January 1808. Crow reported that when he arrived there were 16 vessels already in the harbour. Their owners had rushed them into a last, legal journey, with the result that they had arrived in a poor state and under-provisioned. He also noted that there was glut of captives on the market and that some vessels had been waiting six months to land their captives, with captives dying while waiting.) Thetis left Barbados on 17 April, and arrived back at Liverpool on 27 May. She had left Liverpool with 37 crew members and she had suffered three crew deaths on her voyage. [6]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|
| 1808 | D.Christie
J.Yuay | Hind & Co.
Taylor | Liverpool–Africa | LR |
| 1810 | J.Young | Taylor | Liverpool–Africa | Register of Shipping; small repairs 1806 & 1808 |
| 1810 | J.Yauy
T.Brasley | Taylor | Liverpool–Africa
Liverpool–Madeira | LR |
| 1811 | T.Brassey | Todd & Co. | Liverpool–Madeira | LR |
| 1812 | T.Brassey
Cowey | Todd & Co. | Liverpool–Madeira
London–West Indies | LR |
| 1816 | Cowey (or Cowie) | Captain & Co. | London–Bahia | LR |
|
On the voyages to and from Brazil, Thetis on occasion stopped at Madeira, the Canaries, or Havana.
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.
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.
Defiance was launched in Hamburg in 1790, probably under another name. She started sailing as a slave ship out of London in 1795. Between 1795 and 1800 she made three voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She then left that trade but a French privateer captured her late in 1800.
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 as slaver and was captured in 1795 on her 11th such voyage.
William Heathcote was launched in Liverpool in 1800. She made one voyage as a slave ship before a French privateer captured her in a single-ship action, and the British Royal Navy recaptured her. She became a West Indiaman before she made a second slave trading voyage, one of the last such legal voyages. She then became a West Indiaman again, and sailed to Brazil and as a transport. She was wrecked in July 1816.
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.
Harriot (or Harriott}was launched in Liverpool in 1786. For many years she was a West Indiaman, sailing between Liverpool and Barbados. In 1796 a French frigate captured her, but the British Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She became a slave ship. At the beginning of her of her first slave trading voyage a French privateer captured her, and again the Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She made five slave trading voyages in all. Thereafter she traded with South America. She was last listed in 1814 with stale data.
Agreeable was launched at Bermuda in 1786, probably under a different name. French owners acquired her at some point and sailed her as Agréable. In 1793 the British captured her. Subsequently, between 1793 and 1808, she made six voyages as a slave ship, alternating between the triangular trade in enslaved people, and sailing as a regular West Indiaman. French privateers captured her between the second and third voyages, and the third and fourth voyages, but each time the British Royal Navy recaptured her. In the case of the second capture she was in French hands long enough for them to send her out as a privateer. She herself captured an American vessel in 1808 as she was returning to Liverpool from her last slave voyage. After the end of British participation in the slave trade Agreeable traded more widely, particularly to South America. She was condemned at Buenos Aires in 1814 after running aground in the River Plate. She was repaired and continue to sail to Brazil until she returned to Liverpool in June 1819.
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.
Tamer, was a French prize. She made two complete voyages as a slave ship from 1801 until she foundered in 1803 off Barbados as she was delivering her slaves on her third slave voyage. Before leaving the coast of Angola on this last voyage, she had captured a French slave ship in a single ship action. Tamer sailed with her prize, which rescued Tamer's crew and slaves when Tamer foundered.
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 to gather captives she detained a neutral vessel, an action that resulted in a court case. On her second voyage to gather captives, a French privateer captured her, but the Royal Navy recaptured her. She was sold in 1804 at St Thomas after she had delivered her captives.
Betsey was launched at Pool in 1801. She made two voyages as a slave ship. French privateers captured her on the second voyage but the British Royal Navy recaptured her. Afterwards she was briefly a West Indiaman. She was wrecked in February 1807.
William was launched in Spain under another name and was taken in prize circa 1806. She made one voyage as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Thereafter she traded between Liverpool and Madeira. In 1814 an American privateer captured William.
Commerce was a French vessel launched in 1798 and taken in prize in 1800. Initially she sailed as a West Indiaman. Then between 1801 and the end in 1807 of British participation in the triangular trade in enslaved people, Commerce made four voyages as a slave ship and also spent some time in 1803 cruising as a privateer. Afterwards, she continued to trade between Liverpool and West Africa. During one voyage in 1811 a French privateer captured her, but Commerce was recaptured. She was wrecked in November 1813 while returning to Liverpool from South America.
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.
Molly was launched at Liverpool in 1778 as a slave ship. Between 1778 and 1807 she made 18 complete voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. During this period she also suffered one major maritime incident and captured two ships. After the end of Britain's involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Molly became a merchantman trading with the West Indies, Africa, Brazil, Nova Scotia, and Africa again. She was last listed in 1832, giving her a 54-year career.
Concord was launched at Gravesend in 1784 and initially traded between England and Ireland and then with the West Indies. Between 1786 and 1806 she made 11 voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After her last slave trading voyage, new owners started sailing Concord between the United Kingdom and Newfoundland. She foundered in 1807 while sailing from Portugal to Newfoundland.
Ann was launched at Chester in 1792 as a West Indiaman. From 1796 she made eight complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She also began one that was aborted after she was captured and recaptured. On her ninth voyage a French privateer again captured her, but this time her captor plundered and then released her. She returned to merchant trade until she sank on 24 May 1810 in the Old Dock at Liverpool.
United Kingdom