Westmoreland (1783 ship)

Westmoreland was launched in Yarmouth in 1783. Between 1800 and 1804 she made two voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. 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.

History
Great Britain
NameWestmoreland
BuilderYarmouth
Launched1783
Capturedc. March 1805
General characteristics
Tons burthen375, or 406,[1] or 412[1] (bm)
Complement
Armament
  • 1800: 18 × 9-pounder guns[1]
  • 1803: 10 × 9-pounder guns[1]
  • 1805: 16 × 9-pounder guns[1]

Career

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Westmoreland first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1783, sailing as a West Indiaman.[2]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1783 W.Brown T.Mangles London–Jamaica LR
1795 Thomas Webster London–Cork
Cork–Jamaica
LR
1797 Thomas Webster Cork–Jamaica LR

On 26 February 1796 Westmoreland was at 37°30′N 45°53′W / 37.500°N 45.883°W / 37.500; -45.883 and part of a convoy bound for London. She had lost her main and mizzen masts and was bearing for Antigua.[3] She arrived at Antigua.[4] She arrived at Deal at end-August.

Westmoreland was registered at Whitby in 1797 with owners Robtert Gill, m.m., Henry Barrick, sen., and Jn. Watson.[5]

In 1797, Westmoreland was on her way from Jamaica to London when she put into Hampton Roads, Virginia.[6] By end-December she arrived back at Dover and on 2 January 1798 she arrived at Gravesend.

She was registered at Liverpool in February 1800.

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1798 Jameson London–Jamaica LR
1799 F.Rolston Gill & Co. Hull–Memel LR; good repair 1798
1800 F.Rolton
Catteral
Gill
Bell & Co.
Hull–Memel
Liverpool–Africa
Register of Shipping; large repair 1799

Westmoreland was re-registered at Liverpool in February 1800.[5]

1st voyage transporting enslaved people (1800–1801): Captain Robert Catterall acquired a letter of marque on 2 April 1800.[1] He sailed from Liverpool on 20 April.[7] In 1800, 133 vessels sailed from English ports, bound for Africa to acquire and transport enslaved people; 120 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool.[8]

Westmoreland acquired captives in West Africa and arrived at Kingston on 9 January 1801 with 368. She sailed from Kingston on 4 April and arrived back at Liverpool on 4 June. She had left Liverpool with 40 crew members, had arrived at Kingston with 36, and had returned to Liverpool having suffered four crew deaths on her voyage.[7]

2nd voyage transporting enslaved people (1803–1804): Captain Timothy Boardman acquired a letter of marque on 11 July 1823. Westmoreland left Liverpool on 9 January 1803.[9] In 1803, 99 vessels sailed from English ports, bound for Africa to acquire and transport enslaved people; 83 of these vessels sailed from Liverpool.[8]

Westmoreland acquired captives in Gabon.[9] As she was sailing to the West Indies, the privateer General Ernouf captured her, but HMS Cyane recaptured her on 2 January 1804, or just before.[10] Westmoreland arrived at Barbados on 5 January with 192 captives.[9][11] At some point Captain Edward Kelly replaced Boardman.[9] Westmoreland, Kelly, master, arrived in Liverpool in early July.[12] She had left Liverpool with 37 crew members and she suffered six crew deaths on her voyage.[9]

Fate

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Although both LR and the Register of Shipping carried Westmoreland with data stale since 1804, it appears that Captain Baynes Reed acquired a letter of marque on 26 March 1805.[1] He sailed for Demerara. In March or so, the French privateer Bon, of Bordeaux, captured Westmoreland.[13] In June Lloyd's List reported that Commerce, of Liverpool, had arrived in Virginia. On her way a Spanish privateer had boarded her and transferred to her Reed and his crew.[14]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Letter of Marque, p.92 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  2. ^ LR (1783), Seq.No.W205.
  3. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2805. 25 March 1796. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049069.
  4. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2818. 10 May 1796. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049068.
  5. ^ a b Weatherill (1908), p. 369.
  6. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2971. 21 November 1797. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049068.
  7. ^ a b Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Westmoreland voyage #84005.
  8. ^ a b Williams (1897), p. 680.
  9. ^ a b c d e Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Westmoreland voyage #84006.
  10. ^ "No. 15683". The London Gazette. 13 March 1804. p. 309.
  11. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4426. 10 February 1804. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735021.
  12. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4468. 6 July 1804. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735021.
  13. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4211. 26 April 1805. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735022.
  14. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4299. 28 June 1805. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735022.

References

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  • Weatherill, Richard (1908). The ancient port of Whitby and its shipping. Whitby: Horne and Son.
  • Williams, Gomer (1897). History of the Liverpool Privateers and Letters of Marque: With an Account of the Liverpool Slave Trade. W. Heinemann.