Nile (1800 ship)

Last updated

History
Flag of Spain (1785-1873 and 1875-1931).svg Spain
Launched1786
Capturedc.1799
British-Red-Ensign-1707.svgGreat Britain
NameNile
Namesake Battle of the Nile
Acquiredc.1800 by purchase of a prize
FateFoundered 1804
General characteristics
Tons burthen297 [1] bm
Sail plan Brig
Complement
Armament
  • 1800:20 × 9-pounder guns [1]
  • 1803:12 × 9-pounder guns [1]

Nile was built in Spain in 1786 and was taken in prize. She first appears in readily accessible British records in 1800. She made three voyages as a slave ship, foundering on her third after having disembarked her slaves.

Contents

Slave voyage #1 (1800–1801)

Captain John Givin received a letter of marque on 18 February 1800. [1]

Captain Gwin sailed from Liverpool on 5 March 1800, bound for West Africa. Nile arrived at Kingston on 20 September where she landed 300 slaves. She sailed from Kingston on 29 November and arrived back at Liverpool on 1 January 1801. she had left with 45 crew members and she suffered five crew deaths on her voyage. [2]

Nile first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1801 with John Gwinn, master, Fairclough, owner, and trade Liverpool–Africa. She had damages repaired in 1801. [3]

Slave voyage #2 (1801–1802)

Captain Gwin sailed from Liverpool on 5 July 1801, bound for West Africa. Nile arrived at Kingston on 2 February 1802 where she landed 291 slaves. She left on 2 May and arrived back at Liverpool on 2 July. She had left with 44 crew members and she suffered four crew deaths on the voyage. [4]

On one of the two above voyages Captain left five of his crew, including the second mate, on shore in Africa. This was a common punishment. [5]

Slave voyage #3 (1803)

Captain John Griffiths acquired a letter of marque on 2 July 1803. [1] He sailed from Liverpool on 7 April 1803, and arrived at St Thomas on 14 December 1803. She landed 293 slaves. [6] Nile, Griffiths, master, was sold at St Thomas. [7]

Fate

Lloyd's List (LL) reported on 4 May 1804 that Nile, Griffiths, master, had foundered off Saint Thomas soon after leaving on a voyage from that island to Liverpool. [8] The foundering occurred on 28 April at 50°N28°W / 50°N 28°W / 50; -28 , and after Nile had thrown her guns overboard. She was in company with Harmony, which rescued the crew, together with May, and brought the men into Liverpool. [9]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Letter of Marque, p.80 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  2. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Nile voyage #82943.
  3. LR 1801, Supple. pages "N", Seq.№N28.
  4. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Nile voyage #82944.
  5. Christopher (2002), p.120.
  6. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Nile voyage #82945.
  7. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4423. 31 January 1804. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735021.
  8. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4450. 4 May 1804. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735021.
  9. "LIVERPOOL, MAY 2", 5 May 1804, Lancaster Gazetter (Lancaster, England) Volume: 3, Issue: 151.

Related Research Articles

<i>Brooks</i> (1781 ship) British slave ship 1781–1804

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, 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.

Sarah was launched at Liverpool in 1797. She then made six voyages as a 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.

<i>Ceres</i> (1800 ship) British slave ship and merchantman 1800–1822

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.

Windsor Castle was launched at Whitby in 1783. Initially she was primarily a West Indiaman. Then from 1797 she made five voyages as a slave ship and foundered off Bermuda in 1803 after having disembarked her slaves.

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.

Angola was launched in 1799 at Lancaster. She became a Liverpool-based slave ship that had made four voyages carrying captives from West Africa to the West Indies. The French had captured her in 1804 on her fifth voyage. Her captors renamed her Tigre, but the Royal Navy recaptured her late in 1804.

Vanguard was launched in Liverpool in 1799. She made four voyages as a slave ship. After the outlawing of the British slave trade she became a West Indiaman. A French privateer captured her in March 1809.

Nile was launched at Nantes in 1795 and was captured or purchased from the French in 1802. She then made four voyages as a slave trader. Between her first and second slave trading voyages she cruised for less than year as a privateer. With the abolition in 1807 of the slave trade, Nile became a regular merchantman, but now trading with Africa. She was sold in Barbados in 1811.

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.

Westmoreland was launched in Yarmouth in 1783. Between 1800 and 1804 she made two voyages as a slave ship. A French privateer captured her during her second voyage but the Royal Navy recaptured her and she completed her voyage. The registers continued to carry her for a few years but with stale data; she actually made a voyage in 1805 to Demerara. On her way a privateer captured her.

Agreeable was launched in 1786 in Liverpool, possibly under another name. Between 1798 and 1802 she made three voyages as a slave ship. A French privateer captured her in 1803 as she was sailing from Africa to the West Indies on her fourth slave trading voyage.

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.

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.

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.

Egyptian was launched in 1788 in France. She was taken in prize circa 1799 and became a Liverpool-based slave ship. She made two complete voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was condemned at Jamaica after having delivered her slaves on her third voyage.

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.

References