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 | |
| Name | Westmoreland |
| Builder | Yarmouth |
| Launched | 1783 |
| Captured | c. March 1805 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 375, or 406,[1] or 412[1] (bm) |
| Complement | |
| Armament | |
Career
editWestmoreland 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 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
editAlthough 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
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ LR (1783), Seq.No.W205.
- ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2805. 25 March 1796. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049069.
- ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2818. 10 May 1796. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049068.
- ^ a b Weatherill (1908), p. 369.
- ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2971. 21 November 1797. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049068.
- ^ a b Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Westmoreland voyage #84005.
- ^ a b Williams (1897), p. 680.
- ^ a b c d e Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Westmoreland voyage #84006.
- ^ "No. 15683". The London Gazette. 13 March 1804. p. 309.
- ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4426. 10 February 1804. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735021.
- ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4468. 6 July 1804. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735021.
- ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4211. 26 April 1805. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735022.
- ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4299. 28 June 1805. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735022.
References
edit- 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.