| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | York |
| Launched | 1783, Archangel [1] |
| Fate | Burnt 30 November 1793 |
| Notes | Fir-built |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 600, [1] or 708 (bm) |
York was launched in 1783 at Archangel. She traded with Northern Russia until 1792 when the Sierra Leone Company purchased her for use as a storeship. She was burnt at Sierra Leone on 30 November 1793.
York first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) inn 1783. [1]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1783 | J.Randall | Staniforth | Archangel–London | LR |
| 1792 | J.Randall S.Hebden | Staniforth Sierra Leone Company | London–Onega London–Africa | LR |
In 1792 the Sierra Leone Company purchased York to use her as a storeship. On 9 May York, Hebden, master, sailed for Sierra Leone. In June Lloyd's List reported that she had sprung a leak and had had to put back into Plymouth. [2] She sailed for Sierra Leone again on 30 July.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1794 | S.Hebden | Sierra Leone Company | London–Africa | LR |
Lloyd's List reported in February 1794 that the company's storeship York had burnt at Sierra Leone. [3]
On 30 November 1793 York caught fire. She was holding £4–15,000 of African produce. Her master appears to have been Captain Wallace. Her crew, the crew of Harpy, and most of the people on shore provided no assistance. Captain Telford, master of Harpy, and the mate from York did what they could, but to no avail. [4]
Brooks was a British slave ship launched at Liverpool in 1781. She became infamous after prints of her were published in 1788. Between 1782 and 1804, when she was condemned as unseaworthy, she made 11 voyages in the triangular slave trade in enslaved people. During this period she spent some years as a West Indiaman. She also recaptured a British merchantman and captured a French merchantman. She was condemned as unseaworthy in November 1804.
Robust was built in France in 1779. The British captured her in 1781 and she was registered at Liverpool in 1783. She first entered Lloyd's Register in 1789 as whaler in the northern whale fishery. Then in December 1788 she left on the first of three voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On her third voyage as a slave ship Robust captured a French slave ship and recaptured two British slave ships that a French privateer had captured earlier. After her third voyage as a slaver owners shifted her registry to Bristol and she then made two voyages to the southern whale fishery. She returned from the second voyage in 1797 and is last listed in 1798.
HMS Harpy was launched at Liverpool in 1777, the British Royal Navy having purchased her on the stocks. The Navy sold her in 1783. As Harpy she made voyages to the northern whale fishery, and one voyage as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. The Sierra Leone Company then purchased her. A French naval squadron captured her in September 1794. The French Navy briefly took her into service as Harcourt, and then Harpie. She was struck in 1796.
Caroline was a merchant vessel launched at Shoreham in 1804 as a West Indiaman. She spent almost her entire career sailing to the West Indies, and endured two maritime mishaps during that period, one at Sierra Leone. She sailed to Batavia in 1824 under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). From Batavia she sailed to Sincapore, where she was condemned.
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. French frigates captured and burnt her in 1794.
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, she made six voyages as a slave ship between 1793 and 1808, alternating between slave trading and sailing as a regular West Indiaman. French privateers captured her between the second and third, and the third and fourth, 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 in 1794 in London. The French captured her in late 1795, but the British Royal Navy recaptured her within weeks. She then disappeared from the Registers for some years. She reappeared as Thames in 1800, sailing as a West Indiaman. In 1802 new owners sailed her as a slave ship. She made one full voyage as a slave ship. French privateers captured her in 1805 after she had gathered slaves in West Africa but before she could deliver them to a port in the British Caribbean.
Mentor was launched in New England in 1781. From 1784 she sailed from Great Britain, trading between London and New York or Quebec. From 1789 she made three complete voyages as a whaler in the British Southern Whale Fishery. The French Navy captured her in early 1795 as she was returning from her fourth whaling voyage.
Cadiz Dispatch was launched at Liverpool in 1785. Until 1791 she traded between London and Spain. From 1791 she made two voyages as a slave ship. On the second she was subject first to a maritime incident and then to an unsuccessful slave insurrection. Still, she delivered her cargo of slaves to St Vincent. She was condemned at Tortola on her way home.
Sparrow was built in Bombay in 1777, possibly under another name. Between 1789 and 1798 Sparrow made several voyages as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. In 1803 she was captured and recaptured. The French Navy captured and burnt her in 1806.
Tom was launched in 1780 in America, possibly under another name. She first appeared in British records in 1792. From 1792 Tom participated as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made two complete voyages from Liverpool. French frigates captured her in 1794 while she was on her third voyage, but before she could acquire any slaves.
Molly was launched at Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1783. From at least 1785 on she sailed from Lancaster as a West Indiaman. In 1792 she made one voyage as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. A French squadron captured her in 1794 at the outset of her second slave voyage, before she could acquire any slaves.
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 during her fifth slave voyage, but she was recaptured some months later. Thereafter she disappears from online records.
Belisarius was launched in Massachusetts in 1781. The British Royal Navy captured later that year and took her into service as HMS Bellisarius. She captured several American privateers, including one in a single ship action, before the Navy sold her in 1784. Her new owners sailed her as a merchantman between London and British Honduras. In 1787 she carried emigrants to Sierra Leone for the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor, before returning to trading with Honduras. She was wrecked in September 1787.
Vernon was launched at Bordeaux in 1775, almost certainly under another name. She first appeared in British records in 1779. Between 1781 and 1782, she was an armed transport and in 1781 took part in an action that cost her 13 crew members killed and wounded. After the war she traded widely. In 1787 she carried emigrants to Sierra Leone for the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor. She was wrecked in December 1792.
Nancy was launched in Newfoundland in 1788. Initially, she traded between Bristol and Newfoundland and then Bristol and Lisbon. After a change in ownership in 1791, she traded between Bristol and Africa. The French captured her in 1794.
Nassau was launched at New Providence in 1784. From 1785 to 1792 she sailed from London to New Providence, Philadelphia, Jamaica, Smyrna, and Quebec. A new owner in 1792 moved her registration and homeport to Bristol to sail her as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made one complete slave trading voyage. A French squadron captured and burnt her in 1794 as she was on her way to Africa on her second such voyage.
Chaser was built in the East Indies in 1778. The Royal Navy purchased her in 1781 and commissioned her as HMS Chaser. A French frigate captured her in 1782 but the Royal Navy recaptured her in 1783 and took her back into service. She was present at a major battle and then sailed to England where the Navy sold her in 1784. As the mercantile Chaser she made five or six voyages as a whaler in the British northern whale fishery and then two to the southern whale fishery. On her way home from the second a French privateer captured her, but some of her crew recaptured her. Next, she began trading with Honduras but was wrecked in late 1795 as she was returning from there to London.
Chaser first appeared under that name in British records in 1786. She had been launched in 1771 at Philadelphia under another name, probably Lord North. Lord North became Cotton Planter, and then Planter, before she became Chaser. Between 1786 and 1790 Chaser made four voyages as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. She then became a merchantman. In 1794 a privateer captured her but the Spanish recaptured her. She became a Liverpool-based slaver. In 1796 she was condemned in West Africa on her first voyage in the triangular trade before she could embark any enslaved people.
Brothers was launched in 1782 at Liverpool as a Guineaman. She made seven complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. A French privateer captured her in 1795, on her eighth voyage after she had embarked her captives. In a highly unusual move, the privateer sold Brothers and her slaves to the master of a Spanish vessel that the privateer had captured. The purchaser then took Brothers into Havana.